Unspoken Attraction
by MidnightGemstone
Summary: "Everyone I have ever cared for, has either died, or left me. Everyone, except for you. So don't tell me that I would be safer with someone else, because the truth is I would just be more scared."
1. Prelude

**(A/N): I was itching to begin this story and it got the most votes anyway. Nothing else to say, except to enjoy! Oh and I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh hehe :-)**

**Summary: **21 year old Yugi Mutou attends _The Pyramid_, an upscale atmospheric club for the upper middle/upper-upper social class people and is swept off his feet by a mysteriously seductive man named Atem. They dance, flirt, get drunk and eventually things get heated and they end up in bed together which totally clashes Yugi's moral code, but at that point, he couldn't help himself. And that was supposed to be the end of it. Right?

**Warnings:** Yaoi/Yuri and lime/lemon in later chapters; Mpreg; slight violence.

**Parings:** Blindshipping, Puppyshipping, Chaseshipping, Coinshipping, Apprenticeshipping, possible others, not decided as of yet.

* * *

_Casino Royale_ was Grand Domino City's biggest, not to mention most sought out gambling establishment in the entire country of America. Anyone who wanted a shot at a taste of riches and temporary fame could find it here, along with the lavish decor as far as the eye can see. The whole casino was sitting on thirty acres of land, and easy to spot with Hollywood type lights in the very front to greet you, hence attracting all kinds of people, famous and local, who just wanted to test their luck and skill, or just take a load off. And if the enticing possibility of instant wealth wasn't enough to satisfy your taste buds, or you just need another alternative, you could indulge in a nice dinner for two or three or ten at the _Chez Parina,_ and have your fill of any type of alcohol to alternate your state of mind at _The Lounge _while sitting back and enjoying the casino's entertaining dance shows via _The Pussycat Dolls_ that frequented throughout the night. To top it all off, it was almost impossible not to have your cake and eat it too. There were all types of willing and able people that one could share a night of sleazy passion with, and no matter what the outcome was, the next morning would be a complete haze, with nothing left but the desire to come back and do it again.

21 year old Yugi Muto was never interested in those types of vices however, even though he was constantly surrounded and tempted by it. He worked at the lush and luxurious casino as a blackjack dealer, which meant that he had a knack, as well as a keen eye for reading people. He could figure out if people were even _thinking_ about cheating before they could. Fortunately, because of that reputation, he hardly had to participate in any dangerous scuffles that forced the casino's head security to get involved.

Other than working at the casino, Yugi had a pretty simple life. He lived alone in a one-bedroom apartment about ten minutes away from his job, he had no car for he was saving up for one, but that wasn't a problem at all. Taxis were abundant and frequent near the casino, mostly because of the drunken hot messes that left there, way too inebriated to even walk home by themselves.

Yugi also frequently would catch a ride with his best friend Joey Wheeler, who also worked at the casino at _The Lounge_ as a bartender, the best man for the job, mainly because he took no bullshit or nonsense from anyone, strong headed and hot headed when he needed to be, only because his position required it, especially dealing with alcoholics and drunks. If only he could leave that same characteristic at work when he left work, however, he'd be perfect. But, what Joey lacked in self control and temperament, he made up with his loyalty, honesty and protection over Yugi and the others. So it was a nice balance.

Yugi had two other best friends as well, one being Anzu Makazi who worked as a dancer at the same place – the top dancer in every show, and all the men wanted her. Lots of them would shower her with gifts and money and even propositioned her for marriage with a promised honeymoon to various countries around the world such as Hawaii, France, Tahiti, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and anything in between. And could you blame them? Anzu was the complete package, short thick auburn hair that rested on her sun kissed face, curves in all the right places, with perky breasts that sit perfectly inside any bra she wore and was accentuated in any type of dress or skimpy outfit that she put on for every show. She gave the men an indescribable hard on every time she performed, as if it were on cue during each of her dance routines. It was protocol, but Anzu deep down loved the control that she had over these horndogs. She could tease them with her tantalizing moves and sway her ass and hips to make them reach the brink of orgasm.

There was only one problem with this whole thing. Anzu wasn't even remotely interested in men. As a matter fact, not at all. She was a full blown lesbian. So even the richest, most handsome, well-to-do man in the entire casino couldn't win her heart. He was just fighting a losing battle. Anzu longed that, just once, she would catch the eye of some beautiful dame that would sweep her off her feet and take her away from this place.

Last but not least, Yugi's third best friend Honda Hiroto, worked as the head chef in _Chez Parina, _and he was Grand Domino's most renowned cook. He always was in high demand, which made the casino's owner, Maximillion Pegasus, grateful that Honda chose this place to showcase his talents and further his career, and he often showed that through bonuses and exotic vacations as incentives to stay with the casino whenever Honda could afford to take the time off.

Though his position required most of his physical and mental attention, Honda couldn't be any happier with his career. He loved food, loved being around food. Food was his passion. It was a miracle that he wasn't getting fat from being around it so much. But that could be in part to his assistant waiters and waitresses who all but kept his stress level up to the maximum. His headwaiter, Otogi Ryuji, gave him the most headaches, but also the most laughter. He was quite colorful, funny, witty, quick on his feet, charming,and damn handsome, although Honda would never admit to it. Dating your employees was a huge hell no, and would ruin his reputation. Nevertheless, even with his gorgeous distraction and constant high demand as a top chef, Honda couldn't ask for a better job.

And Yugi couldn't ask for better friends. They were a very close knit group, so close that Yugi considered them family since he had none. His grandfather passed away after Yugi graduated from high school three years ago. If it weren't for them, Yugi didn't know how he would've pulled through. They were the greatest support group ever.

For this very reason, and reasons that Yugi chose not to talk about with anyone else, he never really sought out any romantic relationships. What did he need them for? His best friends were enough of a relationship for him. He'd seen too many romances fail, too many hearts being broken just for the sake of getting some ass on the side, which made Yugi's skin crawl to think about it. He didn't want to be another statistic. Sure, he'd been on a few blind dates – totally unbeknownst to him thanks to Joey, up until the very last minute – but nothing serious ever blossomed from it, mainly because Yugi didn't allow it to. His heart was too guarded to let anyone in. Plus he was young, and wasn't really ready to be tied down yet. When the timing was right, Yugi would allow his walls to crumble to let someone in, but that would be nothing short than a miracle.

Not only had Yugi not had a lot of experience in dating, he had no sexual experience either. He was still a virgin, and unfortunately because of that, he had been the butt of most of Joey and Honda's practical jokes. Joey was the most experienced of the bunch – and the most whorish, and he saw every opportunity to try to rub his promiscuous scent off onto Yugi.

He was actually doing just that one typical night at work, when it surprisingly wasn't too crowded. Joe didn't have any customers at the moment, so he skirted across the casino, amid many other tables for playing poker, craps, blackjack, roulette, bingo and the like, not to mention slot machines that he liked to secretly play on when no one was watching.

He found Yugi sitting at his usual worktable, dealing cards to what appeared to be some new faces, at least new to Joey. He didn't want to distract Yugi too much because it was too easy for a slip up to happen, but he was bored and needed someone to harass. Tonight it was Yugi.

Yugi saw Joey coming towards him from the corner of his eye and internally groaned, anticipating what he already knew was coming. "Not now Joey," he hissed, looking at his two cards in front of him, deciding which one to flip up. The rule of the game was to beat the dealer without going over 21. The table was filled with newbies, so they placed their bets pretty low, until they got comfortable.

"I'm just here to watch," Joey said gleefully, but instead of sitting there quietly like a good boy, he began to hum and tap his fingernails on the table, catching the attention of the patrons surrounding it. They all gave Joey a stern glint, but he didn't seem to care.

Joey moved his face closer to Yugi's ear and his whole demeanor changed to that of a petulant child as he hummed even louder, the vibration of Joey's voice tickling Yugi's ear which made him jerk his head back. "The hell are you doing Joe? Get back to work, or Pegasus will have both of our asses mounted on his wall!"

Joey couldn't help but laugh at his best friend's weird sense of humor, for lack of a better term.

"Do you mind?" one of the players on the other side of the table spat, catching both of the boys' attention. Yugi glared at Joey, who just shrugged and sat down.

"Deal me in," said Joey who pulled out a thick wad of cash held together by a rubber band. Joey was pretty lucky at the tables for the most part, but he knew when to draw back. He didn't want his luck to run out. "I have a little game for ya, Yug."

Yugi slanted his eyes in suspicion at his friend. "What game?"

Joey boldly snatched one of the player's glass of Dom Perignon and gulped it down before she could protest. "Bastard!" she yelped, bringing her hand across Joey's face before angrily skirting away from the table.

Yugi face palmed. He hated Joey's carefree and spontaneous personality sometimes, it got them into so much trouble when they were younger. "Nice job," he drawled sarcastically, trying to concentrate back on the game.

"Come on bud, hit me!" Joey demanded like an impatient child at a toy store. There was no calming down this young man.

Yugi sighed deeply and felt the tension creep up on his neck. This was going to be a long night. He arched his head up skyward to relieve the tension and closed his eyes. "Fine, fine, what's the catch?"

Because there always was one.

Joey shrugged nonchalantly. "Let me take you and Anzu and Honda out to _The Pyramid_ tonight," he replied as Yugi dealt him his two cards, both face down. "It's on me." He tried to peek under one of his cards, but Yugi swatted his hand.

"Just because you work here, doesn't mean you can have an unfair advantage over everyone else," Yugi scolded. "And I'm too tired to party."

"Bullshit, all you do is sit here and deal cards," Joey protested, but then cringed when he realized what he just said. He didn't mean to insult Yugi's position, he knew his buddy was a hard worker. Joey put an apologetic hand on top of Yugi's. "I didn't mean it like that pal," he said softly.

Yugi couldn't help but gleam at his best friend's sincerity. "It's okay," he replied with a tint of red across his cheeks. If Joey were gay, his touch would've been less awkward. Joey and Tristan were aware that Yugi and Anzu were attracted to the same sex, but it bothered them not. That's what made them such an awesome team.

The game of blackjack started with Joey losing the first round, but he didn't give up. He just needed about $2000 and after that he was set. He wanted to spend lots of money on alcohol and women that night.

"Any particular reason why you keep betting more and more each round, Joey? Your streak kinda sucks tonight," Yugi said with a slight giggle. Joey was tenacious in every aspect of the word. Even when the odds were against him, he kept going. That was one of his stronger suits.

"I'm trying to get laid tonight," Joey replied bluntly. The patrons around them coughed uncomfortably and even Yugi uttered a short gasp at the back of his throat, but Joey continued. "And you need to as well."

Yugi slammed his cards down on the table. "That's enough outta you," he snapped, but at the same time, couldn't help but laugh at himself because he knew better than to think Joey was coming over to just play a simple game of 21. There was always a motive behind his actions. "I'm quite content with the lack of penis in my life, thank you."

That comment made two other patrons get up and leave. Right in the middle of a game.

Joey exploded in laughter. "That even caught me off guard," he cried, slapping his hand repeatedly on the cherry wooden glossed table. Tears streamed down his face as he tried to stifle his snickering, as he had already held the game up long enough, and Pegasus would catch him sneaking off from his station and bitch at him for not being at the bar serving customers.

"One more round and you're outta here," Yugi warned his buddy, picking his cards back up after shuffling them, shaking his head in disbelief. Even though Joey was disrupting the game, he was glad that someone had come over to keep him company. Work would be just plain boring without Joe.

After getting dealt his two cards and getting his hand smacked, _again,_ Joey won three rounds in a row, earning $2500, more than enough to pay for his friends to get in to _The Pyramid_ and to have a good time. Now he just had to convince Yugi to join.

"So, is that a yay or a nay for tonight?" he asked.

Yugi sighed and face palmed. "If I say no, you're gonna force me to go out anyways aren't you?" he said, separating his fingers and looking at Joey through them.

"Damn straight," Joey replied, collecting his chips. "I'm gonna go cash this shit out and – "

"JOEY! BAR! NOW!"

Both Yugi and Joey flinched at the loud and deafening voice over the intercom that echoed throughout the whole entire casino. It seemed to make time stand still, but only for a second, as everyone continued their play. That scary voice could only belong to one person.

"Can't say I didn't tell you so," Yugi said smirking. "I'll think about your 'offer ,'" he said, adding air quotes around the word 'offer'.

"Ehh, either way you're stuck with me so – "

"Joey Wheeler, you get your scrawny two bit ass back to your station right now! People are waiting to get served!" this time Pegasus screeched at Joey through his earpiece because his words weren't suitable for the whole world to hear it. Joey removed the piece because his voice was so reverberating.

He sighed and laid a firm hand on Yugi's shoulder. "So I'll see you tonight?"

Defeated, Yugi slouched his shoulders, turned in his direction, putting his own hands on Joey's shoulders and squeezed. "But I'm not getting laid."

"JOEY!"

With another flinch, Joey ran off back towards his workstation, but not before yelling, "We'll see about that!"

Getting laid. It sounded so sleazy and degrading and beneath Yugi. He always imagined his first time being special with someone he had fallen in love with and that he cared for. Casual sex was just not his cup of tea.

* * *

When Joey got back to the bar, there was a very angry mob of impatient customers looking for blood, screaming and yelling explicative and obscene phrases at Joey, some of which not even he had ever heard before; all except for one person. He sat in between the mayhem of mobsters, wearing a white trench coat, black dress shirt, and black slacks. His hair sat to the side of his head and a little over his eyes, but Joey could see his those piercing blue orbs even from under his brown bangs. The man had such a powerful and unexplained aura to him, but Joey couldn't put his finger on it. He looked menacing and the stare he shot Joey sent such a harsh chill down his spine. He seemed angry, like the other customers, but wasn't making a big fuss about it. He just sat there, resting his chin on the backs of his hands, just…sitting there.

While Joey could have stared in the man's eyes for hours, the customers probably would have preferred that he didn't, and a stiletto heel knocked him back to his senses, breaking his trance, and getting back to work. He served seemingly buckets and bucketful's of long island iced teas, rum and coke, Bacardi and sprite, Jack Daniels, Hennessey, Alizé, tequila, cognac, whiskey, and the like. Joey's arms were exhausted by the time he was done doing only one order of rounds.

He noticed that the attractive stranger hadn't made his order yet. Partly because Joey was already so preoccupied with the other rowdy and belligerent customers, so maybe he was cutting Joey some slack.

Breathless and spent, he approached the stranger with caution. "What can I get for you?"

"Sir."

"Beg your pardon?"

"Sir," the man repeated.

Joey flinched inwardly. "What can I get for you, _sir_?" he said again.

"Just a water, extra lemon. And may I suggest you move that ass a little quicker than you've been doing, I'm in a hurry."

Again, Joey flinched. He was used to rude ass customers, but this guy's baritone got under Joey's skin, and annoyingly fast. Now that Joey thought about it, the guy's posture was slouched and his shoulders hunched, almost as if he didn't even want to be there.

"Coming right up," Joey said through gritted teeth, although he didn't want the guy to see that he was getting under his skin so quickly. No one was going to be in control of Joey's emotions except Joey.

And on top of that, what was the guy's problem? If he didn't want to come, just go the fuck home. Nobody was stopping him, and no one would damn sure miss him.

He had his back turned, pouring the water in a tall crystal glass, when he heard the low, gruff voice behind him. "This century would be nice."

_Son of a bitch._ Joey felt his heart beat fast in his chest. His ears turned red and eyes dilated into a dark cloud of pissedthefuckoffness. How was this guy getting to him so easily in a way that no one else could?

_Fuck this,_ Joey thought angrily as he turned around and forced a fake smile on his face, slamming the glass in front of the guy, making a bit of the water spew up from the top. The guy offered him an exasperated stare before toasting Joey, perhaps in a mockingly fashion before gulping down his drink.

"You know," Joey said as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot repeatedly, perhaps to channel his anger – _somewhere_ other than this guy's face, handsome or not. "The things people drink says a lot about them." After the man didn't offer any type of verbal feedback, much to Joey's chagrin, he leaned down to the guy's eye level and moved his face closer, getting a much better view of his piercing blue eyes. His face now twisted in a scowl that didn't rattle Joey at all at that point. He felt insulted.

"Wanna know what yours says about you?"

The man didn't reply, only gave Joey a more threatening glare and took another swig of his drink.

Being the bold and brave individual that Joey was, he brought his lips to the stranger's ear. "You're an absolute bore." And with that he lifted his head again and offered the man a confident smirk, crossing his arms.

Big mistake.

The man stood up, revealing his true height, which was a few inches more than Joey's. His pectoral muscles protruded through his shirt, as well as his biceps on the side. They almost seemed to be painted on his body. His stance was that of a boxer in the ring getting ready to fight in his first round. The man took his glass of water, and with one swift flick of his wrist, threw the beverage in Joey's face. The chilling liquid made Joey tremble as it traveled down his face, to his clothing and eventually to his shoes. To add insult to injury, the stranger threw his glass on the wooden floor, shattering pieces everywhere, almost hitting the nearby customers with it before storming off and out of the casino.

Joey just stood there, half shuddering from the paralyzing cold water, sucking in his bottom lip as he looked down at the damage. He should've been angry, would've been angry, but he got exactly the reaction that he wanted to get out of the stranger, so it wasn't a total loss. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Nobody was going to make a monkey out of Joseph Wheeler, not even some rich looking, pompous, arrogant, complacent pretentious bastard.

Joey walked towards the back room to get a towel to dry himself off, hearing the snickers of the customers behind him as he disappeared beyond the door, but not even caring at that point. It was mission accomplished. While rubbing himself off, a mischievous smirk crept across his face, all the while thinking.

"Totally worth it."

* * *

Please review!


	2. Curious meets Dangerous

**A/N:** This chapter is extremely long, but I didn't want to separate it into two parts. Sorry. I did enjoy writing it though, as I'm sure you all will enjoy reading. Hopefully :-)

**Warning:** This chapter contains a trigger. Please use discretion.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

* * *

After his shift was over and he was beckoned to his boss's office after hours, Joey soon realized that it was certainly not worth it. Farfetched as it sounded, he actually believed he was going to get away with actually being an asshole to that prick of a customer and leaving work scotch free, but maybe that was expecting a bit too much. Joey didn't really count it as being an asshole – more like just being assertive and doing his job. He rarely got away with his childish shenanigans at work. There were too many surveillance cameras around the casino for obvious reasons, and though they were there to mainly catch cheaters, thieves and other low lives, but also to watch out for any employees who thought they were above being caught cheating the system – it had happened plenty of times before.

Joey sat in Pegasus' upscale décor of an office, right above everything so he could see all that was going on in the casino. The swanky 80's theme of the whole office gave off Pegasus' nostalgic medium, especially the ugly ass tie-dye curtains that everyone hated, except for Pegasus obviously. Sometimes it was unbearable to even be in the room, unless it was just you and he there, and God forbid someone else walk in and catch you in that embarrassing excuse of an office. But Pegasus said that this place was his "shrine", his home away from home, and the place that he could really have a clear and sound mind. Exactly what a hippie would say.

If only he could have a clear and understanding mind at that very moment, because right now, he was like a Spanish fighting bull who was about to charge at his Toro holding the red cape, with steam blowing out of his nose. Joey cringed every time he made eye contact with those dark almond eyes, because they seemed to bore a hole into him. An angry, frustrated, hole.

Pegasus paced back and forth on either side of Joey, making him grow antsier with each passing second, because he had no idea what his boss was going to spew out. And whenever he did appear to want to say something, he'd just freeze with his hands in a claw like pose, but then go right back to pacing. Joey could even swear that he could see a vein popping out of his forehead. Disgusting.

How the hell was Joey supposed to know that the asshole prick that threw the drink in his face was Seto Kaiba? The same Seto Kaiba who was the CEO of the biggest gaming corporation in the entire world? It's not like the guy had a name badge and even if he did, Joey never cared for those stuck up, holier-than-thou tightwad sons of bitches anyway. All they cared about was power, wealth and prestige and more wealth. Who gives a damn if someone was actually brave enough to stand up to them, the fucktard deserved it and it was about time someone put him in his place which made Joey's triumph all the more sweeter. CEO or not, nobody was going to step over Joey's shoes and anyone foolish enough got their asses handed to them. After all, isn't' that why Pegasus hired him? Because he took no bullshit from anyone? That including Kaiba. His job demanded it, because 98% of the time, if there was a tussle or fight, alcohol was involved and Joey had to be headstrong or else, he'd fold under pressure.

Maybe that was why Pegasus was hesitant to fire him. Joey was the best bartender he'd ever had, and replacing him would be damn near impossible. But that didn't mean that Joey could take his job for granted. Pegasus wasn't _that _desperate to keep him. Well, not too much. But Joey didn't need to know that.

"Did you know…that there's not enough aspirin in the world for a headache like you?" Pegasus finally asked through gritted teeth. His head was actually beginning to hurt from grinding them so much. He grabbed a headful of his ivory white hair and pulled it into a ponytail – something he rarely did unless he was unbelievably stressed out. Joey could easily figure out why. Kaiba could have this whole casino shut down with the snap of his fingers. He was _that_ powerful. Not only did he have his main office here in Grand Domino, but he had other divisions and branches in other major cities and even outside of the country. He had so much pull everywhere and with everyone that he practically _owned_ the city. Pegasus folded over in dread, thinking the inevitable was going to happen to him sooner or later. He was going out of business.

It didn't take long for Joey and the others to realize that Pegasus didn't bend too well under pressure. Made them wonder why he even took on such a vastly prodigious and highly responsible position. Money being the obvious choice, but Pegasus wasn't really good with people, especially those in the same social group as he was or heaven forbid, a higher group, such as Kaiba. They made him "nervous".

Joey couldn't really answer him. Part of him understood Pegasus' frustration and apprehension and the other part didn't get what the big fucking deal was. If anything, _he_ was the victim here, not Kaiba. Kaiba wasn't the one who had a drink thrown in his face. The fact that he was some big shot CEO billionaire shouldn't have clouded Pegasus' thought process and common sense. After all, most of his best working employees were far from rich, comfortable, but not rich. Under all that prominence, Kaiba still had to eat, drink, sleep, piss and shit like everyone else in the world. Money didn't change that.

Joey sighed, looking down at his worn out white Reeboks, kicking them up somewhat, perhaps out of nervousness. He opened his mouth to speak but –

"I hope you know that you may have very well cost me my entire business, Mr. Wheeler. My whole life's work will be up in ruins, thanks to your adolescent jargon and pitiful etiquette and tact."

Joey squinted his face at Pegasus' alien choice of words. "I work as a bartender, sir," he said stating the obvious, as if to say _duh. I'm not a fancy, shmancy CEO jerk unlike some people. _

"Don't be a snippy bastard," Pegasus retorted, hiding his face in his palms and breathing deeply, remembering all of the yoga classes he'd been taking, staring from the diaphragm and straightening his shoulders. Maybe everything he learned from the classes he took would benefit him greatly, considering his biggest stress trigger was right in front of him. Why couldn't he be more relaxed and levelheaded like Yugi? At least the kid never gave Pegasus trouble if Joey wasn't involved, of course.

Joey waved defensively. "I didn't know who he was. I was just doing my job."

"Telling a customer that they're boring in bed is doing your job? Hah!" Pegasus scoffed and threw his head back in a sarcastic chortle, wondering if Joey was actually pulling his chain. He couldn't sometimes figure out if he was bullshitting or not. But he didn't give himself time to contemplate over it. He stepped closer to Joey, hovering over him like an angry schoolteacher, crossed arms and slanted eyes. He smirked a bit when he saw Joey cowering in his seat. He'd never challenge Joey in _that_ way, he was too classy, but seeing how Joey reacted to his authority was always amusing.

"I…embellished?" was the only answer Joey could offer. It wasn't really a lie, since he had no idea how Kaiba was in bed. Nor did he care about such a trivial matter. It was too stupid a subject to dwell on. Rather sickening one too. He didn't give a damn what another man did in the privacy in his own bedroom. He was more concerned about the fairer, opposite sex. Nevertheless, he looked at his boss, hoping that would be the answer he'd accept.

Pegasus shot him a hard, incredulous glance, as if wondering if Joey was telling the truth. But the impending headache from thinking too hard deemed it not worth fretting about. For now. "Watch your fucking tone next time," he warned, backing off, giving Joey some free space. "This place is all I have. Without it, I'm nothing." Something that he didn't share amongst many employees, but Pegasus knew Joey was mature enough to keep that comment to himself.

Thankful that all he was getting was a slap on the wrist, Joey was still a bit sore that Pegasus never acknowledged the actual drink being thrown in his face fiasco. Wasn't his employees' well being just as important to him as making money? It figures. Pegasus probably assumed that Joey deserved it with his snarky ass comment. It was known since before even Joey started working here that he had a big mouth. It seemed to win over Pegasus at first, considering what the job description was, but now he could see that he had been blindsided with the fact that Joey had absolutely no discretion whatsoever when he lost his temper, and that wasn't good for business.

"Sure thing boss," Joey said nonchalantly before shuffling his feet forward, getting out of his seat. He still had to get home, shower, get dressed and meet his friends at the club tonight and quite frankly, Pegasus was holding him up, probably on purpose, though he wasn't conscious of Joey's plans after work.

"Don't sound so remiss about it," his boss said, rolling his eyes heavenward. "The next time the guy comes in, just call me. We don't need a repeat of tonight."

Joey felt a bit insulted. The incident, at least in his eyes, wasn't even worth that much effort behind it, and even if Seto Kaiba did return to the bar, Joey had enough balls to handle that rich snob again. He dealt with his types before, though always unpleasant, but Joey was old enough to hold his own. Again, that's why Pegasus hired him.

Instead of offering a rebuttal however, Joey simply got up from his seat, no longer wanting to hear about the idiot CEO anymore, and wanted to focus on much more important matters – like getting fucked up and fucked down. Way more excitement there.

He left Pegasus' office and walked down a long narrow hallway, with windows of other offices on either side until he reached a spiral staircase and descended on downward. Joey was hoping that maybe Yugi had found another way home instead of waiting on him, because he had to get ready too. And Pegasus held him up a little too long.

When Joey reached the bottom, he could see his workplace come into view. And unfortunately he saw something else – or someone else rather.

"Speak of the devil…"

There he was, sitting in the same spot _again_, as if he was waiting on Joey to serve him up or something. The nerve of this clown. This idiot. This…_fucking idiot! _Was he coming back for an actual fight because the casino was closed and he wouldn't get in trouble for it? What made him think that he could actually waltz up in there like he owned the fucking place and sit there like no one was going to say anything? Joey was seething. This punk ass was doing this on purpose just to get under his skin and Kaiba knew it. Joey honestly didn't want to fight, he thought the incident from earlier would burn, but obviously this guy wanted to go another round.

And where the hell was security? They were supposed to be the very last ones to leave, to make sure the whole place was secure and vacant when Pegasus was alone. And then when he left, _then _they could leave. But they seemed to have scattered like roaches. How fucking convenient that they all vanished when Seto Kaiba showed up.

Joey skirted towards the man, a little too briskly, ready for a showdown, and probably would've gotten to him, if it wasn't for another head that poked from around the corner before Joey passed the wall, a rather short figure that came for Joey and wrapped his arms around him to prevent him from going any further.

"Joey! There you are!"

Of course, Yugi would come and intervene at the worse possible moment. Right when Joey was about to kick Kaiba's ass out of the casino. Joey didn't look down at Yugi, his eyes still locked onto Kaiba's in a cold stare, and his eyes squinting and not even paying attention to the fact that his best friend was practically squeezing him by his waist. Though Yugi was no lightweight, that would be hard to ignore.

"Joey?" Yugi noticed right away that something was wrong. Usually, Joey would be ruffling his hair by now or doing something else that guys do when they greet each other. But it was as if Yugi wasn't even there. When Yugi saw Joey from around the corner, he didn't notice the tall, statuesque guy sitting at the bar. He didn't have time to. He wanted to ask Joey if they were still going out clubbing tonight. Yugi was actually a bit less tired than he thought he was, but he was still keeping his word about not hooking up with anyone that night. Or any night.

"Hey Yug," Joey finally said, not taking his eyes off Kaiba. They both stared gaping holes into each other, neither one not trusting the other to make the next move. "How bout a drink?"

Yugi, still with his arms wrapped around Joey's waist – though he was actually kind of surprised that Joey let him hold onto him this long, knowing his sexuality, though Joey had no problem with it – gave him a puzzled look, but figured since it was after hours, he saw no issue in drinking _one _shot. "Sure, why not?" he loosened his grip on Joey as he walked passed Yugi to the bar, still not taking his eyes away from Kaiba.

Yugi was unaware of all the tension in the room. He hadn't noticed Kaiba until he turned and walked around to the front of the bar to take a stool. He sat next to Kaiba, but Kaiba didn't react to his presence. He just sat there like a statue, eyes glued on Joey.

He wasn't wearing his white trench coat this time, only his black dress shirt and slacks. Yugi noticed that it was vaguely tight around the biceps where Kaiba's arms were crossed and rested on the table. He was obviously lean and in shape. Yugi wondered how much the guy worked out, but didn't have the guts to ask. His hair was a nice shade between chestnut and chocolate and Yugi could've even sworn he could smell a nice aloe scent from Kaiba's hair, probably shampoo. He had wrinkles around his eyes, from glaring so much at Joey, but other than that, they were a pretty cobalt color and they were probably a nice set of peepers when they were relaxed. Yugi wasn't sure. He also wasn't even sure why Kaiba and Joey were giving each other such dirty ass looks. What the hell happened tonight?

"What would you like, bud?" Joey asked Yugi, but he just refused to take his eyes off of Kaiba. It was like the guy would jump him behind the counter if he did, and Joey didn't wanna take any chances.

"Russian Diamond Premium Vodka."

Both Yugi and Joey glanced at Kaiba at the same time, after Joey took his eyes off him for literally two seconds. The bastard had actually cut in their conversation. Not surprisingly, it pissed Joey off even more, but for the sake of Yugi in their presence, he tried to keep his hot-blooded temper under control.

"I'm sorry sir, we're closed," Joey said with such satire in his voice. No way in hell was this creep going to get one up on him.

"Then give me a water and a lemon," Kaiba said, disregarding Joey's announcement.

"I don't think so. You're lucky I didn't get you kicked out of here the last time I gave it to you. You won't be so lucky next time."

"_You_ just better be lucky it was water," Kaiba warned. "Next time it won't be."

"Fuck you!"

"Not in a million years."

Joey's mouth opened in shock at Kaiba's fast retort. "Son of a bitch – "

He attempted to lunge at Kaiba, before Yugi stepped in between the two men and threw himself at Joey, climbing over the tabletop and behind the counter. Joey's face was red with anger now. His breathing was deep and rapid and it took all of Yugi's grabbing and gentle slapping of Joey's face to get his attention. "Joey, please, let's just go. He's probably here to talk to Pegasus anyways. Remember you said you wanted to have fun? Joey look at me!"

Yugi almost sounded like a little child. Never mind the fact that he was vertically challenged, but even so, he finally got Joey to look at him.

Yugi gasped when he saw how red his face was. Joey was so fucking heated. He'd never let anyone get under his skin like that, and he'd dealt with much bigger guys who weren't as snide as Kaiba was. The fact that he was obscenely rich and well known didn't help with matters either. Joey hated those types. They always looked down on the hard working lesser class people. Like those fuckers knew what hard work even was. Fuck them. And fuck Seto Kaiba.

And fuck the fact that he never lost his temper once. Joey even thought that he saw a smirk creep on Kaiba's face. As if he was proud of himself. Smug bastard. Just like those Hollywood types to think they can just treat people like shit just because they had a little change in their pocket.

"I guess I won't be getting that water," Kaiba said so nonchalantly, he seemed to have ice in his blood. "Oh well, maybe next time."

Un-fucking-believable.

The way he was so calm and unemotional about the whole situation bothered Joey so much. Usually his adversaries came at him with such venom and valor, and Joey was at least ready for that. He wasn't well suited for an opponent that got under your skin by mind fucking you. God dammit, and he was sure that Kaiba _knew_ about Joey's short temper, otherwise, why would he single him out? Son of a bitch probably knew everything about everyone in this place.

The best way to damage your opponent _was _psychologically, as Kaiba knew very well. And it had worked to a T. Yugi was right, he was here to see Pegasus, to talk business and partly to talk about his hyperactive and rogue employee named Joey Wheeler, but it was late and Kaiba had a sixteen year old brother _and_ an international company to look after. This nonsensical bullshit can wait.

Kaiba finally stood up, straightening the wrinkles of his dress shirt, sort of using his hands as an iron, all the while with his nose in the air, at least that's what it looked like to Joey. Fucking dickweed was just throwing his wealth and good looks in everybody's faces.

"Will you just leave? I already said we're closed and I'm not making you any god damned drink. Come back tomorrow, preferably at a time that I'm not here," Joey scowled. Kaiba wasn't even doing anything remote at that moment and he was still getting on Joey's nerves. But why?

Unfortunately, security couldn't close the doors until after Pegasus left, and that could've been hours from now and Yugi didn't want to wait forever. He got behind Joey and convinced him to just ignore Kaiba as he pushed him towards the direction of the exit.

"I want my vodka next time too, pup," Kaiba called from behind.

Seriously?

Joey turned around again to charge at Kaiba but Yugi was a human roadblock and didn't even let him get the chance. He was starting to think that he should just go straight home and tell Joey to do the same so he could cool off. But Joey was insistent, the incident putting more fire under his ass than ever now and he needed to blow off some steam. Fucking Kaiba and his mind games.

Joey could only blame himself for falling for it though. He'd never been confronted like that; he was used to physical encounters, and not so much mental. As much as Joey hated to admit it, Kaiba had won that round. He'd never say it out loud, not in a million years. The asshole didn't need the satisfaction or the ammunition.

When the two boys finally made it outside, they immediately noticed a cherry red Ferrari in front of them. Joey grimaced, figuring that it was Kaiba's car and kept walking towards the parking lot.

"Joey, what was that about? You never get into a fight like that," Yugi said, concerned about his friend's mental welfare.

Thing is, Joey did, but he usually knew how to handle himself better than that.

"The guy's a dick," Joey replied gruffly, wiping his nose with the back of his sleeve. He didn't want to admit to Yugi that Kaiba was getting to him more than he lead on.

Joey was glummer when they got to his car, a 2005 Toyota Camry. The car actually belonged to Joey's father, but he barely left the house, so he had no use for it.

He didn't even want to think about Seto Kaiba anymore. He was totally rude, arrogant, and blatantly disrespectful and condescending. Typical rich bitch. It made Joey's teeth grind the more he thought about him. He didn't even realize that he was.

And why was he even reminiscing at all? Their would be brawl was over. It was time to move on to more important matters.

When they got inside the car, Yugi noticed that Joey didn't crank up right way. He just sat there, huffing and pouting as he gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"What's your malfunction tonight?" he demanded, breaking Joey out of his thoughts. "I'm almost not in the mood to even be around you."

Joey winced. He didn't mean to make Yugi feel ignored. But he just couldn't shake Kaiba from entering his mind. How the hell was this happening?

He forced a fake smile and looked down at his best friend. "I'm just a little tense is all, nothing that a few shots of tequila can't fix, right?" he ruffled Yugi's spiky hair to show that his mood was improving. It was somewhat of a pretense though, but it _was_ his idea to go out clubbing tonight, so he owed Yugi that much.

When Joey finally cranked up and left the area, he drove downtown, taking the freeway so he didn't get held up by streetlights and he could get Yugi home quicker. Taking in account Yugi's height – or lack thereof – and location of his apartment, Joey didn't really like the fact that Yugi was living alone. Sure, they were adults now and grown a tremendous amount since high school, but that protective side of Joey never left and each time he dropped Yugi off, Joey made sure that he was safely inside with the door locked before he drove off; and living in a lower middle class neighborhood that wasn't the safest didn't help Yugi's case at all. Yugi found it juvenile, but Joey always insisted, so Yugi never spoke of it afterwards. He still found it superfluous though, even though Joey's intentions were there.

Yugi's apartment could barely house two people let alone himself. Whenever the gang got together, they usually met up at Anzu's or Honda's, seeing as their places were in more upscale suburban areas, part in thanks to their parents that were well off. Which made Joey ponder why they picked the casino to work of all places. But whatever, they probably wouldn't have met if that never happened.

It took Joey a while to reach his own place, which he was somewhat thankful for, but part of him was anxious to get there because he wanted to check up on his baby sister, Serenity. Other reason being, their father was probably there also, making Joey tense at the thought, because he didn't want his sister alone at his mercy. Their mother passed away when they were in middle school, and their father slipped slowly into a deep depression, which unfortunately he never recovered from. His depression transcended into alcoholism and unfortunately unrelenting abuse on both Joey and Serenity. Joey hated himself for having to leave the house to go to work for twelve hours a day, but he was the only source of income, since dad refused to get a job and Serenity was too young for one, but for some daunting and nagging reason, Joey couldn't put him out of the house. Albeit physically and mentally abusive, all Joey could do was try to shield his sister from their father's attacks as much as possible while he was there.

Getting his own place was out of the question. Joey couldn't afford it, and he was even lucky to have his own car and not have to rely on public transportation, but he wondered how long that would even last. It never seemed to for long.

He pulled up to the side of the house and saw in the window that a light was on in the kitchen. There wasn't anyone sitting at the table, which unnerved Joey a bit, but he tried to keep calm. His first thought was Serenity and if she locked herself in her room again, which was understandable. She never really left unless Joey was there.

He was just rounding the corner of the house to the front door and patting his pockets feeling for his house keys at the door when he felt a light tap on his right shoulder. Joey flinched hard and turned around sharply to confront whatever was behind him, even balling up his hands into fists just in case he had to kick this person's ass. Plus he or she could've had the upper hand since they were coming from behind.

The first thing Joey noticed was a head full of wild jet black hair that reached down to the boy's shoulder blades and even more wilder bangs in the front. He was maybe an inch or two shorter than Joey but his facial features made Joey guess that he was way younger than he was. His eyes were a shade of maybe dark grey and mauve but that was too trivial for Joey to think about. He had on a black and green striped t-shirt with faded black jeans and black reeboks to match. After close observation, Joey decided that this kid wasn't really much of a threat when he wasn't physically assaulted right away.

"Can I…help you?" Joey asked hesitantly. "Are you lost or something?"

Honestly, the kid looked like he had no business being there, and judging by his wardrobe, his parents could afford a better cost of living than where Joey was.

The kid reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a familiar looking badge. Joey suspected that he seen the badge somewhere, but couldn't put his finger on it.

"Are you…" the kid looked down at the badge to read it. "Joey Wheeler?"

Joey's eyebrow arched. "Y-yes," he replied, crossing his arms defensively. "And who might you be?"

"Mokuba Kaiba," the boy said cheerfully, extending his hand out.

Joey swallowed hard and scowled, as he slanted his eyes. Did he just say _Kaiba? _His stomach churned, and he tightened his jaw as familiar flashbacks from earlier that night entered his mind. One Kaiba was bad enough, but two? Even Joey knew he couldn't handle such a duo.

"You okay man?" Mokuba asked as he noticed Joey burying his hand in his face. His voice was considerably deep for a child, so it made Joey think that he was maybe sixteen or seventeen or maybe even legal age.

"Huh?" Joey peeked at Mokuba through his fingers and saw that the kid was smiling – something that Seto never did – and it calmed his nerves just a tad. At least this Kaiba _seemed_ friendlier than his older counterpart. Maybe he wouldn't be so bad. But Joey still wasn't 100 percent sure. "Yeah, I'm fine. May I ask what you're doing here, and by yourself? Does your brother know that you're here?"

Mokuba's eyes widened. "How'd you know that I had a brother?"

Joey paused. Did Kaiba not tell him about Joey before they got to his house? Something was a little off here. "Uhh. We've met," he muttered, scowling again at the thought of their first encounter.

"Oh. Umm, well, my brother said he found this hanging on his coat pocket after we left. I told him that we should return it to you since you might need it for work," Mokuba said, his hand still extended. "Even though he didn't want to, but I begged."

Joey hadn't even noticed what was in the kid's hand right away. He was still recuperating from the simple fact that he may have had two Kaibas to deal with now.

And how the hell did they even find out where he lived? The only people who knew were his friends and Pegasus and he knew for a fact that none of his friends would tell such a snob like Kaiba, and Pegasus wasn't allowed to disclose information like that by law. So what the fuck?

Before Joey could answer, he heard the door handle jiggle behind him. He flinched, fearing that his father now knew that he was home, but he slowly turned around and to his relief, he saw the dainty face of his little sister peeking her head out of the corner. Her eyes went soft when she saw her brother and she seemed more relieved and relaxed. She walked out and stopped at the steps of the porch, crossing her arms.

She was wearing a cute hello kitty pajama set, along with the socks and hat to match. Serenity was almost out of high school, but there were some things that she didn't want to let go, no matter how childish they were.

"Hey big brother," she said in the softest voice, walking up to Joey and taking his arm. She rested her face against it and closed her eyes. It wasn't until she opened her eyes again that she noticed Mokuba standing there. She gasped a little and was taken aback on how cute he was. He had such pretty eyes and a round little face that she wouldn't have minded cupping into her hands and he was dressed so nicely. Serenity's heart fluttered when he smirked and blushed a little, averting his eyes towards the ground and shoving his hands in his pockets.

Joey twisted his face in a confused scowl. What the hell was wrong with these two? His sister was acting like she'd never seen a good-looking guy before. _Hello,_ she was related to one.

Mokuba cleared his throat to get Joey's attention and indirectly, Serenity's too. She was gorgeous and he couldn't take his eyes off of her long straw colored hair that flowed in the wind down to her waist. Her face was so pretty and somewhat naturally tanned, and especially flawless.

He was blushing way more than he should've been. "Well umm," he began to say. What was he about to say, exactly? He had his thoughts together before this lovely young lady walked outside of the house, and now his brain was scrambled.

Joey began to catch on very quickly. Somehow in a matter of maybe two minutes, these two had fallen for each other. _Just my luck_, Joey thought. _My sister falls for the brother of the biggest asshole in the universe. Just my fucking luck._

"Y-y-your nametag," Mokuba stuttered, barely able to get a coherent word out of his mouth. It began to feel dry like a desert, and he felt his face get even hotter.

Joey scoffed, crossing his arms. "Keep it. I can get another one on Monday." He wanted no part of Kaiba's DNA on his skin or clothes, as immature as that was.

"Right." Mokuba mumbled and turned to walk away, but he tripped over his own feet. Figures, he'd embarrass himself in front of a cute girl. But being a Kaiba, he bounced back fairly quickly.

A stretch limo came into view as Mokuba got closer to the street. When he opened the door, he looked back at Joey and Serenity and gave a wave before lowering his shoulders and getting in. The two waved back as the limo took off.

"Wow," Serenity beamed. "He must be loaded, huh bro? Makes me wonder who he's related to."

"Seto Kaiba," Joey answered her with such disdain and contempt in his voice, it almost made him sick to utter his name.

Serenity beamed and her eyes widened. "_The_ Seto Kaiba? The guy who owns Kaiba Corp and makes all those cool gadgets? Wow! No wonder his brother's so cute. I guess good looks run in the family."

Joey rolled his eyes. "Gimme a break," he groaned, face palming. He really wasn't in the mood to hear such bullshit, and he had to get back in the house to shower and get ready. "Is dad inside?"

Serenity's whole mood and demeanor changed when she heard those words. "Yeah," she said softly, lowering her eyes and gripping Joey's arm a little tighter.

"What's wrong baby sis?" Joey was on high alert and noticed his sister's change of behavior. He was hoping he wouldn't have to deal with any senseless beatings tonight, but unfortunately…

They both heard a loud crash from inside the house. The door was still open, but Joey couldn't see anyone inside. He winced as he put Serenity behind him from protection and he walked towards the door. But she was tugging at his shirt sleeve to make him stop.

"Joey, let's just go to the park or something. Or maybe we can go back to your job and you can teach me how to play poker," her voice was panicky, but she tried her best to hide it.

"The casino is closed and you're way too young to even try. What's your problem anyway?" he asked, looking back at her. "Don't worry about anything, I'm here now."

"Joey!" she hissed under her breath. "He's really mad. I just don't wanna make him madder."

"When isn't he mad?" Joey replied grimacing. He took his sister's arms and wrapped them around his waist. Truthfully, he was a little afraid as well, but he tried to stay strong and brave for her.

They tiptoed back into the house as quietly as they could. Joey peeked his head in, looking to the right in the living room. The tv was on but his dad wasn't on the couch watching it. He looked forward into the hallway, which was eerily dark, but the light from the kitchen on the left side of the hall was on. Joey and Serenity's room were on the hallway perpendicular to it.

It seemed like their rooms were miles away, but they wanted to get inside before their dad noticed them. Joey knew he wasn't away because he had no car or any money for bus fare, so he was somewhere in the house. Joey could hear his sister's heavy breaths behind him, and she had a death grip around his waist. "Shhhh," he said softly to coo her. He knew she was scared, but he wanted to get her into her room before she was noticed at least. Joey could handle his dad way better than she could.

Silently they tiptoed past the living room, down the hall towards the kitchen. The floorboards creaked painfully under them and they froze. Joey swallowed hard, waiting for a grunt or some type of other form of life from his father, but never got one. He inhaled and exhaled slowly and deeply before he continued.

Joey couldn't deny his pounding heart or his shaky knees, but that was mostly in part to worrying over his little sister's well being. He didn't care what happened to him as long as she was okay. After their mother died, she had no one to take care of her but Joey. Their father became a deadbeat, and even before she died, he wasn't much of a father, apathetic and emotionally distant for the most part. Her death just amplified his negative behavior. From all that he's done to Joey and Serenity, he wondered how long they'd be able to coexist under one roof without somebody losing their life.

They were once again interrupted by a forceful snort that made Serenity grip Joey's waist so tight, he could barely breathe. Joey held his breath and he heard heavy footsteps behind them, even more so from the creaking floor, and Serenity began to shake and shut her eyes tightly. She was frozen with fear.

Joey knew that any sudden movements would set his dad off, and on top of that, he didn't know if he was drunk or not. Seven days out of seven, he was, unfortunately and today was probably no different. Joey's thoughts were interrupted by Serenity's soft whimpers, not to mention the footsteps getting closer, so he had to think fast. He made a beeline for Serenity's room, and turned around so that she was against the door. The horrifyingly twisted up face that he was confronted with when he turned around almost made his skin jump.

Joey could smell the foul stench of alcohol on his dad's breath before he even opened his mouth. "Where the fuck have you been?" he said with a slurred speech.

"Serenity," Joey said lowering his voice, not really sure if she could hear him, but he continued. "Go inside your room and lock the door."

She gasped. "No, I'm not leaving you out here with him, Joey. Please – "

Their father interrupted and slammed his hands on either side of their heads. Serenity screamed, but clamped her mouth with her hands to try and stifle herself. "Was I talkin to you, cunt?" he growled, piercing her with menacing eyes that made her cringe so much, she looked down at the floor to break the intimidating gaze. He lifted his eyes towards Joey again who tried to put on a brave face, but his father could see right through his ruse. "You got any booze for me?"

"N-no," Joey said timidly.

Without warning, his father grabbed him by the collar and shoved him to the other side of the wall, slamming his back against it with a hard thud. The back of his head also hit the wall and it dazed Joey, his vision becoming blurry as he could just see nothing but stars in front of him. He felt a blow to his stomach that Joey swore knocked his entire soul away from his body. Serenity screamed, and tried to jump on her dad's back to distract him away from Joey, but he gripped her arm hard and brought her around in front of him and smacked her across the face. Joey was breathless and in pain from the blow to his stomach, but when he saw his father actually slap his baby sister in the face, it sent him into such a fiery rage.

He stumbled to his feet and tackled his dad, shoving him against the opposite wall, and then gripped his arms around his neck in a full nelson position. "Serenity!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Get in your room, now!"

But she was still on the floor trying to nurse her wound. Her father's slap stung really bad and she was on her side, in a fetal position crying her eyes out. She was defeated already.

Joey's dad then, with all of his might, sprung backwards, causing them both to stumble and fall into the back wall, making Joey's head slam against it once again. He disoriented Joey to the point of not being able to stand up or see straight and the crippling pain took him over. He turned around and punched Joey in the jaw and in the face, and while he was limping towards the floor, took his elbow and jabbed him in the back of his neck. Serenity watched in horror, cupping her cheek as she watched her father beat her brother senseless. She mustered all of her strength to get up and run to the kitchen to grab the phone and call 911. But her father chased her and before she could dial a number, he wrapped his forearm around her neck and squeezed as hard as he could. Serenity gasped and choked and tried to break free, but she was far too weak. Her father's steel like grip rendered her useless. She began to fight less and less, as she slipped into unconsciousness, and her body fell limp. After she was gone, her father released his grip and let her body fall with a sickening thump on the floor. He then walked to the drawer near the sink and pulled out a pair of pliers, and cut the phone cord right in half.

He was out of breath and shaky, but he looked down at Serenity, feeling no emotion or sympathy and walked back towards the hall where Joey was. He too was limp on the floor on his stomach, barely conscious. That blow to the back of his neck was probably what did him in, his dad wasn't sure. Nor did he give a shit. All he wanted was some fucking booze and he couldn't even get that. Such a no good, pathetic, worthless scumbag he called a "son". No good kid would disobey his father, and that was the end of it.

Shaking the cobwebs, he made his way towards the living room, and plopped down on the couch, watching television as if absolutely nothing had happened.

* * *

Yugi was sitting on his couch, constantly glancing down on his phone to check the time. Joey was supposed to call him two hours ago to make plans with Anzu and Honda and how and when they would meet up at the Pyramid, but he heard nothing.

He was already dressed and ready to go. Yugi had on a simple black long sleeved shirt with a white cardigan, black pants, and black dress shoes. He was hoping he wasn't overdoing it, but he was told that the Pyramid was pretty upscale and lots of high ranked individuals would be there. Not to mention rich and uppity businessmen and women who wanted to drink their stress away. Yugi chuckled at the thought. He also wondered how in the hell Joey would be able to pay his and everyone else's way in such an expensive club. He knew that he won money from the tables earlier that night, but was two grand enough? Yugi pondered…

He checked his phone once again, noticing that it was only two minutes that passed since the last time he checked. But he was getting worried. Joey was usually very reliable and punctual but right now he was being neither. He didn't answer any of Yugi's phone calls or texts earlier. Yugi then wondered if it was the perfect time to panic or not. He also wondered if Joey's lack of response had anything to do with his father. God forbid.

He was shaken out of his thoughts by a loud thump at the door. Thank goodness. Joey finally showed up. Yugi stood up a little too quickly, his vision becoming white and getting dizzy from the sudden rush of oxygen decreasing from his brain. He took a few more seconds to shake the cobwebs before there was another bang on the door, this one more harsh and thick. Yugi swiftly made his way to the front door and opened it. He gasped at what he saw.

Joey was leaning on the sidewall on his forearm wearing the same clothes that he had on earlier that night. Not only that, but his shirt was torn at the shoulder and his necktie was gone. He hadn't showered or changed at all. Yugi searched his face for answers and gasped as he discovered a dark purple bruise on Joey's cheek and his jawline. His neck seemed really red too and his hair was mangled up and uncombed. His eyes were bloodshot and he was clutching his stomach as if he had just finished throwing up. Joey looked a complete disaster.

Yugi couldn't even find his voice. He was horrified. "J-Joey what – "

Joey held out his hand to cut him off. "Are you ready buddy?"

Yugi's mouth was agape. "How could you stand there and say that? You look like you just got hit by a truck! What the hell happened to you Joe?"

"Nothing that some tequila can't fix, now let's go." Joey grabbed for Yugi's arm, but he jerked away.

"Not until you tell me what happened to you!"

Joey face palmed and sighed. It was bad enough that he had just gotten the shit beat out of him by his own father two hours ago, but he had to watch his sister get beat on top of it. All he wanted to do now was party and get shit faced enough to forget everything that happened tonight.

When his dad finished beating the both of them, Joey eventually woke up and immediately looked for Serenity, finding her in the kitchen, unconscious. It took everything in Joey not to grab a knife and stab that son of a bitch until he was dead, but he couldn't afford jail time, not if it meant leaving Serenity alone with that sick bastard.

Fortunately, Joey was able to wake her up, and of course she was disoriented and at first couldn't even recognize her own brother, but that no longer mattered. He had to get her out of there.

Their dad was passed out on the couch and a porno was on tv. Joey grabbed whatever of his and Serenity's belongings that he could, and left the house. Then he drove to Anzu's house and begged her to let Serenity stay with her for the night, and while Anzu never had a problem with helping her friends, she was curious as to what was going on. Joey said he couldn't discuss it right now and that he would later and Anzu agreed. Anzu promised Serenity that she would be safe there and to help herself to anything she wanted, as Anzu's parents were away on business. Then she and Joey left for the night to head to Yugi's.

And now Joey was standing at Yugi's front door trying to beckon him, but Yugi wouldn't move until he got some answers. Anzu was waiting in the car, and she really wasn't in the mood to be up so late, but she was stressing from work and a night out on the town would probably do her some good. Maybe she could even meet some hot girls, who knew. The possibilities were endless.

It wasn't getting her anywhere just sitting in this car though. She rolled the window down, and called for those two numbskulls to get in the car and do what they all left the house to do.

"Yugi…" Joey said in a strained voice. "I just got in a little fight with my dad, ya happy? Now let's go." He once again went to grab Yugi's wrist, but failed.

"I can walk by myself, thank you," Yugi said with a sneer, snatching his arm back. He knew Joey wasn't being completely honest with him and he it was pissing him off. However he wasn't going to stand at his doorstep and argue about it all night. Anzu was waiting.

He walked past Joey before he could say another word, and got inside the car. He greeted Anzu before locking his seatbelt, crossing his arms and looking outside the window. When Joey got in the driver's seat, Anzu looked back and forth between the two.

"Well are we going or not? I didn't dress this good just to stare at you two all night."

She was half serious, half joking. But Joey knew that they had wasted enough time already. It was time to go crash this party. He'd deal with his dilemma afterwards.

Not surprisingly enough, the line leading into the entrance of the Pyramid was ridiculously long. It took Joey about fifteen minutes to find a parking spot, not to mention the fact that it seemed to be a million blocks away from the actual club. Yugi didn't know what Joey was thinking wanting to go out on a Friday night, probably the liveliest night of the week for club owners. He would know since he worked at a casino and the atmosphere wasn't all that different.

They were standing in line when Yugi noticed that Honda wasn't with them.

"He's already inside," Joey said. "He said it's a madhouse in there, and people are already throwing up and shit from too much alchy."

Yugi sighed. He didn't like the idea of being around a bunch of drunks. And he damn sure was going to make sure that Joey didn't go overboard and get so shit faced that he wouldn't remember a thing the next day. Anzu he didn't have to worry so much about. She didn't drink that often.

As the trio stood in line, a long black stretch Cadillac escalade limo pulled up beside them at the curb. It sat there for maybe two minutes and the driver of the limo made his way towards the back and opened the door. It got everyone's attention and for some reason, they got their cameras and phones out to take pictures.

Yugi rolled his eyes. It was probably a big shot CEO or other business executive wanting to blow thousands of dollars on booze and women.

Joey must have been reading Yugi's thoughts. "Can you believe this shit?" he griped. "We have to stand here in line while these stuck up assclowns get to skip ahead of everybody. Fucking idiots think they own the place."

Joey's mood was already sour before they even got there but this just made it worse. But for Yugi and Anzu's sake, he tried to keep calm.

This person whoever it was, reminded him too much of Seto Kaiba. Flashy, arrogant, thinks their all that, thinks that their shit doesn't stink –

Wait. Why was he thinking about Kaiba again? Joey bit down on his already swollen lip, forgetting that it was swollen just to punish himself for allowing that douchebag to enter his mind again. Ugh. Fuck him.

Yugi would've answered Joey back, but his eyes got locked on the individual that exited the limo. The first thing he noticed was that his hair was dangerously similar to his, except that this guy had extra bangs sticking up to meet the other parts of his hair. The rest of the hair – tri colored, shaped like a starfish – was completely identical to Yugi's. He wore a sleeveless black leather shirt that hugged his incredibly lean and firm looking muscles. His skin was also tanned, either naturally or artificially, and Yugi could even see the shape of his ass around his leather pants. They seemed tight enough.

When he turned around, Yugi couldn't even believe his eyes. The two locked gazes and the guy seemed just as incredulous as Yugi did. His eye color was a deep crimson that could stop your heart cold if he stared hard enough. They were sharp, clear and laser like and Yugi was so taken aback by the similarities in hair and facial structure that he looked away. The man kept staring however, and noticed that Yugi looked like the short, younger, more petite version of himself. His face was a little rounder than his own – his was more v-shaped, and he had the most beautiful cream-colored skin he'd seen in a long time. A lot of the men and women he'd been with in the past had all been good or fair looking, but besides the obvious resemblance, there was something about this little one that sparked something different inside the man. Only he couldn't put his finger on it.

He walked up closer to get a better view of Yugi, but he was grabbed by a female companion and roughly dragged by his arm towards the entrance – a girlfriend, Yugi assumed. Well, so much for that.

"Atem, we're already late, quit trying to feed your sex crazed appetite so soon," the woman scorned him.

Atem scoffed. "Mana, I was just trying to check something out. Or someone rather."

"There's plenty of other people inside to check out, now come on! Your brother is upstairs and you know how he gets when your ass is late to one of these things."

"You would know, he's your husband."

Mana chuckled. "No shit, now come on."

When they disappeared beyond the canopy top entrance, Yugi blinked to make sure that what he just saw was real. Was he just staring at a replica of himself? It was hella creepy and odd, but he couldn't deny how handsome the man looked. His poise and posture and definitely his limo showed that he had a lot of money and prestige, and it also showed Yugi that he had absolutely no shot with him. It made him feel a little down, but it was nothing he didn't expect.

"Was that guy checking you out?" Joey said, breaking Yugi's thoughts. He couldn't help but chuckle at the way Yugi was gawking at the stranger.

Yugi felt his face getting hot. "Of course not," he said trying to play it off. "And besides, he's here to find some ass and I'm not. It wouldn't even work."

"With the way you were undressing him with your eyes, I'd say otherwise," Joey snickered, looking at Anzu, who couldn't hold back a smile either.

Yugi shot both of them a sharp look. "Excuse you!" he snapped. He pouted and crossed his arms.

Both Joey and Anzu burst out in laughter at Yugi's adorable tantrum. Though he denied it, Yugi deep down knew that he was slightly attracted to the stranger. He was sex personified. It wasn't like anything was going to happen when they got inside, so why not dream in the meantime? This club was huge, three stories tall, and there was a very slim chance that he would run into him again, amidst all the people.

But, still. Yugi had a glimmer of hope.

Twenty more minutes passed before the trio could get inside. It didn't cost nearly as much as Joey thought, thankfully, but he wouldn't be able to buy his friends that many drinks. Anzu said she wasn't going to drink, because Joey was going to need a designated driver when they left – meaning he was going to be too fucked up to drive, so_ someone_ had to stay sober.

The club was swollen. The music was so loud that you could actually feel the vibrations on you. There were three floors, each with a huge dance floor in the middle and two bars each at the opposite ends towards the back walls. Neon lights were strewn around the club, and each floor also had a VIP section with a privacy curtain, and another bar within that. Disco balls, ribbons, chandeliers, balloons, servers who walked throughout the club on all three levels with trays holding glasses of champagne, not to mention the restaurant on the first floor that served foods from all cultures and countries. All this club needed were angels playing harps from the ceiling and then it would be perfect.

It didn't take long for Yugi, Joey and Anzu to lose track of each other among the sea of people. It would've been a miracle if they were able to stick together. Yugi had the short end of the stick before he literally was that – short and he felt like an ant in a forest full of palm trees. Sighing in frustration, he managed to find a bathroom and decided to just hide there to text Joey and Anzu and ask where they were.

As expected, Joey headed straight for the bar. He wanted to forget about all the crap that happened earlier that night; the bullshit drama with Kaiba, meeting his kid brother – though he didn't seem as vindictive and patronizing as Kaiba - getting his ass kicked by his dad, seeing his sister get slapped, having to hide his sister at Anzu's house…everything. Joey knew he would need a shit load of alcohol in his system to forget everything. It was too much of a weight on his shoulders.

He was about ten steps away when he bumped into someone, which wasn't a surprise since the club was so full of people. What was a surprise however was that the person Joey bumped into was Mokuba Kaiba.

"What the – " Joey said as he helped the kid get up from the floor, holding his arms. "The hell are you doing here? You can't be old enough to get into this place."

Mokuba dusted himself off and laughed. "Nope, I'm not."

"Then how'd you get in?!" Joey demanded.

"When you're related to Seto Kaiba, you can pretty much get away with damn near anything," Mokuba said crossing his arms and shrugging his shoulders, laughing.

_This little punk is almost as cocky and obnoxious as his brother is,_ Joey grimaced internally. But he decided to keep quiet about how Mokuba was coming across. He didn't know the kid long enough to pass any judgment.

The two of them stood, while a server walked past them holding a tray of glasses of champagne, with diamonds inside. Mokuba beamed and grabbed one, but Joey snatched it out of his hands before he could get a taste. "You're barely tall enough to see over the steering wheel kiddo. I'm certain that you're not old enough to drink."

Mokuba huffed. "Joey, right?"

"The one and only," Joey replied, gulping down the alcohol, feeling the burn in his chest. He would probably need about twenty more to feel any type of buzz, or maybe hit up the bar for something more potent. He wouldn't be able to do that with Mokuba hanging around him though.

But something stuck Joey as odd. Why would Kaiba let his baby brother attend an adult club, knowing that he was way too young, with no supervision whatsoever? Unless Kaiba didn't even know that he was there.

"Umm, question. Who are you here with?" Joey asked curiously.

Mokuba managed to steal the olive on a stick from Joey's glass when he wasn't looking. "I'm actually here with some cool people that work for my brother, Atem, Mahad and his wife Mana. I've seem to have lost them though…" Mokuba's voice trailed off.

Joey snickered. "Obviously." This Kaiba was _definitely_ more appealing than the other. Joey was relieved of that. He didn't know what he would do if he had to deal with the terrible two.

Mokuba followed Joey to the bar stools, figuring that he would catch up with Atem and the others later, but he wanted to get to know Joey more. He especially wanted to find out details of the cute girl he encountered at his house.

"Soooo ummm," Mokuba said nervously, twiddling his thumbs. "That girl that was with you earlier today, was she your sister?"

Joey stopped midway when he was taking out his ID from his wallet to show the bartender. He slanted his eyes and glared down at the kid. He knew what he was up to. He was once his age. "Yes, she is. And before you ask, no she's not available."

"Oh," Mokuba said, disappointed. "So that means she has a boyfriend?"

"Nope."

Mokuba arched an eyebrow. "Then why can't she talk to anyone?"

"I didn't say she couldn't. I'm just saying that I'm the only man she needs in her life right now. Maybe forever."

"That doesn't sound very fair," Mokuba griped, crossing his arms on the table. He didn't really plan on doing much, maybe just being friends with Serenity, or maybe even finding out what school she went to, her favorite hobbies, foods, music…simple thing. She probably didn't even like him like that.

Joey took a shot of his Tequila Sunrise, scrunching his face up at the sting, but loving the sensation. "Life ain't fair, kid," he said with a wink.

Truth be told, he didn't trust any guy around his sister, no matter how nice and polite they were. He knew how guys operated and it would be a cold day in hell before any one of them hurt Serenity. And it didn't help matters much that their dad was an abusive lowlife manipulative son of a bitch bastard. That would've just given Serenity an even more negative connotation about men, which Joey could understand completely. Even though he didn't know how Serenity felt about dating boys, Joey knew she was somewhat apprehensive, thanks in part to their father.

He was taking his third shot when he noticed Mokuba staring at his bruised cheek. The club was relatively dark, but from where they were sitting, the counter had a lavender light coming from inside of it and it shone in the right angle, on Joey's face. "Something wrong?" he asked.

"What happened to your face?" Mokuba asked outright. "Did someone hit you?"

Dammit. Joey had completely forgotten that it was there. "Uhh," he said. "I ran into a door."

Complete bullshit.

Joey hated lying to people, but he hated getting people involved with his family quarrels even more. If his dad found out Joey and Serenity were telling people about the abuse, the results would be catastrophic.

"If it makes you feel any better," Mokuba said, moving his seat closer to Joey, probably so he wouldn't have to talk over the music. "Seto used to get hit with doors too when we were younger. Even when he tried to avoid it, the door was always there. It would taunt him, pressure him to be perfect all the time, make perfect grades, have perfect manners, perfect at sports, perfect clothes, shoes….everything. And if he wasn't 'perfect' at the time, the door would beat him senseless. I think that's why he's such a perfectionist now. Because of that stupid door. Before we met that door, we had such a hard life, with no parents to take care of us; they dumped us off at an orphanage. That's when we met the door. To be honest, we would've been better off staying at that orphanage. Seto used to actually be….nice. But now it's so hard to get him to smile, much less talk. All he does is work, work, work, like he's a robot or something. The only way he spends any time with me is if I literally beg him and he has no work to do, which is rare. Even then, all he does is sit and sulk while I'm trying to enjoy myself _and_ him. It's such a let down. I know why he acts the way he does but…"

Mokuba's voice trailed off. He'd almost forgotten that Joey was sitting there. He zoned out and just began to spill his heart out. He had never really told anyone that before. It had been building up for so many years that he was even contemplating just telling anyone who would listen. Joey just happened to be around.

Joey couldn't find his voice, nor could he find the words to say to comfort this kid. Mokuba had obviously seen right through his lie, as if he'd heard it a million times before or something. Nobody had ever been able to see through anything that Joey said before like that. It scared him.

It gave Joey insight into why Kaiba was such a giant douchebag, but it still didn't excuse his behavior. And it still didn't endear Joey to him at all. Mokuba however, he had sympathy for, though. At least he didn't let his past fuck up his personality and outlook on life, which was good.

Mokuba sighed deeply, deciding that he had shared way too much information with someone who was still somewhat of a stranger, but a potential friend. He didn't know yet. It was too soon to tell. But Kaiba would murder him if he ever found out what he just told Joey.

"Well," he said, spinning on the bar stool and turning his back towards the table. "I better go find Atem and the others. It was nice talking to you though, Joey. I just wish you'd change your mind about letting me see your sister. I don't mean any harm."

Joey nonchalantly shrugged his shoulders. "We'll see."

He nodded and patted Joey on the shoulder. "See you later." And within seconds, Mokuba was lost in the crowd.

Joey face palmed and ordered another shot. Great. That was exactly what he needed. More to clutter his mind. He had come here to have a good time with his best friends, but instead, he'd been driven into a more depressive state.

He stood up, deciding to go look for Yugi, Honda and Anzu because frankly, he didn't come to this club to mope around. He almost stumbled trying to find the floor, but Joey didn't knock into anymore. Strange. Four shots shouldn't have even gotten him tipsy.

Nevertheless, he straightened his collar, took a deep breath and dove into the sea of humanity.


	3. Taste of your lips

I think you guys will love the ending ;) I sure did enjoy writing it!

* * *

Atem sat with his brother Mahad and Mahad's wife Mana at the third floor of the club in the VIP room. The low lavender and sky blue neon lights that shone throughout the room made the vibe a little more relaxed than the one outside of the room and it was way quieter. The lounge had a curved red velvet sofa that had a red velvet table before it to place your drinks and food onto it. There was a self-serve mini bar that had unlimited alcohol and even a television and pool table for entertainment. The music was even different than that of the main club and because of the soundproof doors and windows, you couldn't hear the outside noise.

Mana and Mahad were cuddled up near the end of the sofa enjoying each other's company, and Atem had two women on his own on either side of him. They were whispering pretty dirty things in his ear and he couldn't deny how excited it made him. One of them mentioned having him handcuffed and blindfolded, and licking sweet and yummy things off his body, preferably his dick. It made his pants tight, and he could hardly stay seated without fidgeting or adjusting himself.

The other lady took it upon herself to grab at Atem's crotch and squeeze his semi erection and it made him gasp sharply. Atem felt the rush of blood flow to his dick and it was nerve wracking, but in a good way.

"Now, now ladies," he managed to say in between his labored breaths. "Let's show a little discretion for the other guests here." He motioned his hand towards his brother and Mana, who weren't even really paying them any attention. Atem would've felt embarrassed if one of the girls were bold enough to do something right in front of them, pointy erection and all.

Mana had her shoes off and was sitting in her husband's lap, face nuzzled in his neck, giving soft butterfly kisses and gentle sweet coos of 'I love you' in his ear. Mahad had his arms snuggly around her waist; gently grazing his index finger across her soft, lovely face. To him, she was a delicate flower and any rough movement would interrupt such a beautiful and seemingly perfect portrait of a woman. It was so romantic and sweet.

Atem couldn't help but watch their intimate moment from the corner of his eye, unbeknownst to his two lady companions. He enjoyed being a bachelor, living the single life, doing whatever he wanted with whomever he wanted, but sometimes wished he had a relationship like that. Only very slightly.

If he was going to be honest with himself, Atem enjoyed being in between the sheets with beautiful men and women even more. Sex came easy for him, thanks to his charm, good looks, and high profile career at Kaiba Corp, the most famous gaming company in the world. He worked as a software engineer, top of his sector, which paid him very well. In turn, he could afford pretty much whatever he wanted and whomever he wanted, on top of living in a nice condo in the suburbs of Neo Domino, a sub-city of Grand Domino, with an expensive car, expensive clothes, shoes, jewelry and all kinds of other trinkets to go along with it. When he saw someone that he wanted, all he had to do was flash those pearly white teeth, a little charm and a little more money, and they were his for the taking.

When it came down to the nitty gritty, a relationship would probably weigh Atem down. Having to wake up to and answer to the same person every single day would most likely be annoying, and he'd be damned if he would have to explain his actions and whereabouts when he was way too grown up for that. If someone could come into his life and be so amazing that it would change his mind and his lifestyle, then fine, so be it. But he wasn't going to pursue someone long enough for that to even come to fruition.

Despite that however, it did make him ponder about the small lookalike of his that he discovered outside of the club before Mana dragged him inside, and before he was able to get a good look at the little one. But from what Atem saw, he was quite adorable, a little on the thin side but not too thin, but he was dressed nicely and quite posh if Atem had any say in it. He couldn't stop thinking about the boy's round, smooth cherubic baby face. The Pyramid was an 18+ club so he was obviously old enough to enter, but Atem wondered just how old.

If Atem had to guess, he'd say the boy didn't have much sexual experience judging from the unmistakable innocence in his eyes, and a smirk creased on his lips at the thought. If that were the case, Atem would have to change that. He could break that little one off really good and have him coming back for more.

His thoughts were interrupted by one of the girls tugging on his collar to get his attention. She then brought her lips to his earlobe and nibbled, making Atem's heart drop and his skin crawl. He was getting extremely aroused and horny right in front of his brother and sister-in-law and it was just awkward. He couldn't get completely freaky or sensual if someone was watching him, unless they were part of the sexual act. And they most certainly _weren't. _This wasn't some sex tape or orgy.

Luckily for him, Mahad and Mana were still too into each other to notice what was going on with Atem and his company. Still, it felt so off balance. If someone made a noise, it would surely stir them up and that was the last thing Atem wanted. What he really wanted was to find the cute little stranger that he locked eyes with earlier that night. Maybe if Atem played his cards right, he'd get him to go home with him, with the help of a few drinks of course.

"Hey, where's Mokuba?" Mana asked, taking a little breather from kissing her husband's neck. "If anyone knew we snuck a sixteen year old in the club, we'd have our asses handed to us by the club owner _and _Kaiba. He doesn't even know the kid is here."

"I'll go find him," Atem quickly answered and shot up from his seat, much to the chagrin of the two women he was sitting in between. While looking for the younger Kaiba, he could look for Yugi at the same time, even though the chances were slim. There were so many people on all three levels of the club and Atem knew he'd have trouble looking for them both, especially Mokuba. The kid loved to evade and sneak out on his own when no one was looking, and it gave Kaiba headaches when he wasn't where he was supposed to be. On top of that, Mana was a bad influence on him as well. She would sometimes help Mokuba sneak out during the weekends to meet up with friends at the movies or the mall, especially if Kaiba specifically told him not to. So far, he hadn't caught on to their secret.

"Bring him back up here when you do," Mahad said. "There's too many bad influences in this club and it would be too easy for him to sneak a drink or two. One mention of Seto's name and these people would fold and give into Mokuba's demands."

"Right." Atem gave his brother an army salute before leaving the room.

* * *

Anzu gave up on finding Yugi, Joey and Honda and decided to sit at a bar on the second floor. The music was beginning to give her a headache and her feet hurt. Her heels were wedged and her feet should've been used to them, since all she did at work was dance in them, as well as high heeled stilettos. But they were giving out on her.

Anzu couldn't drink, she decided on that as soon as they got to the club because she knew all three of her male counterparts were going to be under the influence of alcohol. Joey would more likely than not sway Yugi to drink more than his fill and become drunker than he originally planned. Anzu wouldn't put it past Joey.

She was honestly getting bored. There were really no cute girls that sparked her interest and the men who approached her were nothing but drunken sexist pigs who just wanted a quickie in one of the bathroom stalls. Either that or they tried to cop a feel inside of her dress. It grossed Anzu out to no end.

She sighed. "I guess this halter top dress was a waste tonight," she mumbled to herself. Against her first judgment, she ordered a frozen margarita, figuring one drink won't affect her ability to drive. Plus waiting was a drag and looking for her friends was becoming somewhat of a nuisance. Whatever. She'd find them outside when the club eventually closed.

She took a sip of her drink from the skinny black straw and swirled it around the glass. Some of the salt on the rim fell off on the table. Being the neat freak that she was, Anzu wiped it off with her napkin.

She took another swallow of her drink, when another female sat down beside her. "Is this seat taken?"

Anzu turned her seat to answer her, and nearly choked on her drink.

The lady in question was wearing a black and white striped front bustier tank, a 3/4th sleeved single button black blazer, white high waisted shorts and black crisscross platform pumps. Her hair was a lavender color – Anzu guessed it was dyed – and her bangs stopped right above her deep indigo eyes. They seemed to beam and sparkle when Anzu made eye contact with her, and her face lit up.

"Hi," the girl said, somewhat hesitantly. She noticed that Anzu hadn't answered her and she had a look of astonishment on her face, as if she'd seen a ghost or something. "May I sit here?" she asked sweetly.

Anzu could barely breathe. "Uh-huh," she replied without moving her lips. This girl was a bombshell! Perfect face, perfect boobs, perfect silky legs, nice firm ass, round full luscious lips, pretty eyelashes, high cheekbones. Anzu couldn't help but size her up and down.

The girl in question felt her cheeks burn. "I…what's your name?" she asked, extending her hand out. She knew she was being stared at and didn't know what to say. Honestly, Anzu was quite pretty herself and it made the girl nervous.

Anzu met her in a shaky handshake. "An-Anzu," was her feeble reply.

"Beautiful name. It means peach right?" she giggled. "My name is Miho. Miho Nosaka. It's nice to meet you Anzu."

Anzu was so blown away by such a beautiful creature. Miho was the prettiest girl in the entire club, and though Anzu was far from shy, it appeared as though the cat got her tongue.

"Are you okay? You look a bit pale," Miho said, touching Anzu on her arm, perhaps to jog her out of her trance. She asked the bartender for some water and then handed it to Anzu. "Maybe this will help."

Anzu nodded her head in gratitude, seeing as she still couldn't find her voice. Not only was Miho drop dead gorgeous, but she was also thoughtful and considerate. She was just perfect.

When Anzu was done with her water, she set it on the table and folded her hands together. She took deep breaths and tried to collect her thoughts. _What's wrong with me?_ She said internally. _I've never been this way with anyone before._

She froze when she felt Miho's hand on her back. "Anzu, what's wrong? Are you sick? Do you need to go home?"

"Oh n-no," Anzu stuttered, feeling like such an idiot for not being able to talk. "I'm sorry, I…"

Why was this so hard? Being a top dancer of the _Pussycat Dolls_ at her job, she wasn't shy or timid at all. Her position wouldn't allow it. Most night, she wore revealing outfits, skin tight stocking, with whips and chains as accessories, and many other enticing and seductive venues.

And yet here Anzu was, not being able to hold a simple conversation with a beautiful girl. It wasn't like she'd never done it before – she had. But something about Miho had her tongue twisted. She couldn't put her finger on it.

Miho lowered her eyes and sighed. She was starting to believe that Anzu didn't want to be around her. "Well, I guess I'll go then…"

"No! No!" Anzu cried, putting her hand on Miho's shoulder so she couldn't walk away. "Please don't go. I don't mean to act so strangely. It's just that…" her voice trailed off.

"What is it?" Miho asked, looking Anzu in her eyes with heavy curiosity.

Anzu swallowed hard. She felt butterflies creep up in her stomach. "It's just that, you're so…so gorgeous and beautiful that I was just…taken away." She whined a little and buried her head in her forearms, fearing that she'd now embarrassed herself. She felt like a schoolgirl who had just experienced her first crush.

Miho blushed immensely. She didn't know how much she affected Anzu in such a short period of time, but she happy she did. She found Anzu very attractive but she had a cooler head about it. Anzu obviously was very unnerved by her confession. Miho giggled to herself.

"You're so sweet," she said, moving her seat closer to Anzu's and wrapping her arm around her lower back. Anzu had her head down and she felt chills when she felt Miho's arm around her. "I think you're beautiful too." She made sure she said that in Anzu's ear flirtatiously.

Anzu felt like she was about to melt. There was a beautiful girl whispering seductively in her ear, and she didn't know what to do. She lifted her head only to be greeted by deep pools of indigo that were Miho's eyes. They were even prettier from a close proximity.

"Maybe I can buy you a drink to loosen you up," Miho chuckled, rubbing Anzu's shoulders a little. "Bartender! Two frozen daiquiris for me and my lovely friend here." She batted her eyelashes at Anzu, making her blush even more.

Anzu's face was so red, she was sure that she was blushing all the way down to her toes now. But maybe a few drinks could make her open up to this magnificent beauty because being sober wouldn't get the job done.

"So," Miho said when they finally got their drinks. "Where are you from Anzu? What do you do for a living?"

Anzu took a huge gulp of her daiquiri before answering. She felt an immediate burn in the middle of her chest, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not, but it would pass. She wanted to be at least a little tipsy before opening her mouth. "Well I've been in Grand Domino all my life. I've been saving up to become a dancer so I can pursue my dream in New York. Dancing is all I know. I even work as a lead dancer at Casino Royale as a Pussycat Doll." She giggled and looked down at the table. She could feel the alcohol taking over, but she would need way more in her system to really open up.

Miho gasped. She had been trying to apply to be a dancer at that place forever, but she never got any callbacks; either that or the dance manager had been giving her the runaround. And here she was talking to the one person that could probably put in a good word for her. If only she could show Anzu some of her moves so she could convince her…

"Hey!" she beamed, an idea popping into her head. "Dance with me!"

Anzu's eyebrows arched. "Really?"

Miho nodded. "Yeah, I have all this energy inside me and I wanna get loose!"

Anzu took that way differently than she probably should have. But it did excite her to no end to think of Miho bumping and grinding against her on the dance floor. Maybe they could get something going even after the club was closed, if she wasn't too drunk that is. She still needed to drive Joey and Yugi home. But still…that didn't mean she couldn't have her little sexy fun too.

Miho squealed when she heard her favorite song, _Thrift Shop,_ by _Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. _She grabbed Anzu's hand and dragged her smack dab to the middle of the dance floor and started popping her hips while holding Anzu's hands at the same time. She then brought Anzu's arms around her waist and held her close. Anzu could smell the scent of Miho's perfume and she swallowed hard. Her fragrance was so intoxicating.

"So Miho," Anzu managed to say into her ear when she was holding her close. "Are you single?"

Miho proceeded to grab Anzu's ass, making her gasp in surprise, and then brought her chest to chest to her. "I wouldn't be holding you like this if I wasn't," she said with a sparkle in her indigo eyes.

Miho was a little bit shorter than Anzu, even with her heels on. She was so close to Anzu's face that it made her shudder and she could even slightly smell the scent of alcohol on her breath. With one hand, she had Miho's hand intertwined with hers, and the other around Miho's waist. A server just so happened to walk by with a tray of champagne and Anzu snatched a glass and flushed the drink down her throat. She needed more alcohol to calm her nerves. Miho was just too hot for words.

Miho rested her head on Anzu's shoulder as a slower song came on – one that Anzu couldn't recognize. She felt Miho's body heat and it made her heart race even more. Miho's hands made their way around Anzu's waist and she squeezed a little, trying to make her comfortable.

"You're so tense, Anzu," she said with a giggle. "Don't be so nervous."

"I wouldn't be if I wasn't in the presence of such an angel," Anzu complimented. "You're perfect, Miho."

Miho cupped Anzu's cheek and grazed her thumb across it, making her face burn a deep red. Her cheeks were a crimson mess.

"So are you."

* * *

Honda was wiping his black corduroy pants of vomit that a random person had unceremoniously dumped into his lap while they were scrambling to find the bathroom. Needless to say, they didn't make it, so they used Honda as a substitute toilet, which obviously pissed him off.

He showed up to the club before his friends did and he was waiting for them to come before the club got too packed, but since they were taking their sweet ass time, it wasn't long before Honda found himself all alone. They had their cell phones with them, but the loud music would drown any chance of them ever hearing the ringtone if he called or texted them.

He was trying to walk and wipe his pants at the same time, so he wasn't really watching where he was going. He felt the strong force of someone else's shoulders clash with his and it sent him sprawling backwards, and almost fell on the floor, but the person that bumped into him grabbed his arms before he could hit it.

"Ooooh! Sorry about that!"

Honda brushed his shoulders off and paused when he realized that he recognized that voice. "Otogi!"

"The one and only," Otogi laughed, patting Honda on the shoulders and then wrapping his arm around one of them. "I'm actually surprised to see you in a place like this. What brings you to the Pyramid, boss?"

Honda fought the pink blush that crept on his face and tried to increase his oxygen intake. Otogi was even more gorgeous up close, and even in the semi dark club, he could see Otogi's jade emerald eyes plain as day. They were crystal clear and almost pierced a hole right though Honda.

"Well," he started to say. "I have to find a way to cope with working in that hellish kitchen just like you."

Otogi laughed. "Tell me about it. I just didn't think you'd be into this type of atmosphere. You seem so reserved, unless you're dealing with one of us in the kitchen."

"I wish I wasn't anymore," Honda grimaced, looking down at his ruined pants, still reeking of vomit.

Otogi scrunched his face. "Oh wow! Someone's seen better days," he tried holding back his laughter but it was too much to hold in.

"Ha ha ha," Honda said sarcastically. "We'll see how funny it is when we get back to work on Monday."

"I know something that could clean that right up though," Otogi replied. "Come with me."

Honda complied, and Otogi look his hand so they wouldn't get separated in the crowd, making his heart skip a few beats. _Wow, even his hands are soft,_ Honda thought to himself, but then shook the thoughts away immediately. He felt guilty and ashamed for thinking this way about his own employee because he if ever acted on his impulses, it would cost him his job for sure. Honda worked too hard to get where he was, and as much as he liked and admired Otogi, he couldn't risk pursuing any type of relationship with him, other than professional. Honda was somewhat sad at that fact, but there was nothing he could do about it.

Otogi lead Honda into the men's bathroom and had him sit on top of the long L shaped sink that stretched from one end of the bathroom to the other, which was weird to Honda but he didn't complain about it. There was nobody else in there, which probably wouldn't be that way for long so Honda was nervous about what Otogi was going to do. The lights were very dim and he could barely see, which made Honda even more nervous.

Otogi reached into his pocket and pulled out some sort of pen. Honda couldn't make out what it was in the dark. He then walked up to Honda and took his by the knees and pulled his legs apart a little.

"Whoa!" Honda exclaimed, quickly snapping his legs shut. "What are you doing?"

Otogi gave Honda a flushed look and sniggered as he still had his hands on Honda's knees. "It's a bleach pen," he replied, trying to hide his amusement. "What did you think I was doing?"

Honda could feel his face burn with redness. He couldn't blurt out what he was really thinking, so he kept it to himself. "Well, I was just caught off guard, that's all," he said, avoiding those pristine emerald eyes. "I've never seen a bleach pen before."

"That's understandable," Otogi snorted and proceeded to slowly open Honda's legs this time. The vomit stain was in the groin area, which made Honda even more tense because he realized that Otogi would probably have to be touching that area to clean it, but he stayed as calm as he could. With a hand on his thigh, Otogi rubbed the pen on the stain. It wasn't a small stain, so it would take a while for it to disappear. Honda could feel his pants getting tight and his eyes widened in fear, hoping Otogi wasn't taking notice of it. It was hard to keep calm with Otogi touching him like that, whether he knew it or not. Plus, the fact that he was attracted to the man didn't help matters either.

The more he rubbed, the more aroused Honda got, and the higher Otogi seemed to move on his leg. By this time, Honda was extremely hard, and whether or not he liked it, Otogi would make him cream his pants if he didn't stop. His breathing was hitched and labored and Otogi seemed to be teasing him, because Honda was sure he could see his hard on by now.

But the stain wasn't gone. Otogi began to grow frustrated and started scrubbing even harder and it made Honda took in a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut. He was on the verge of losing control of his bodily functions and if Otogi didn't stop…

Otogi wasn't looking at Honda's face to notice his flushed and pained expression, but once he heard Honda take in a deep breath, he looked up. The two locked eyes and Honda's eyes widened and he looked upward at the ceiling when he caught Otogi's gaze. He was way too embarrassed and ashamed now of what just happened.

"Umm." Otogi caught on quick what was going on, but didn't know how to approach it. He couldn't deny that he found his boss attractive, in his own dorky way, but he honestly wasn't trying to arouse him or turn him on in that manner. He just wanted to clean his stain off. Otogi had guessed it backfired on him.

"I….I don't….I mean….I gotta go," said Honda, trying to calm his nerves and he stepped down from the sink. His erection was trying to poke through his pants and he abrasively adjusted himself so that he could at least look halfway decent when he walked out and not like he just gotten a blowjob in the bathroom.

Honda walked briskly out of the bathroom and Otogi followed trying to talk to him but Honda was just too mortified to admit that his own employee just gave him a huge boner. Maybe if Otogi felt the same way, it would've been way less awkward to talk about, but since that wasn't the case, it wasn't up for discussion.

"Honda, wait – " Otogi started to say, but when they both reached the swinging door, it flung open inward unexpectedly and Otogi grabbed Honda by the waist and flung backwards to avoid the collision. Otogi lost his balance of course and they both fell backwards in a bathroom stall, and the back of Otogi's head hit the stall door. His back smacked hard against the outside rim of the toilet.

Joey had busted through the door to find a toilet he could expel the contents of his stomach in. He had one too many shots and it was starting to come up again. Honda and Otogi listened in disgust as they heard Joey retch and throw up everything that he ate and drank that night, heaving and gasping for air as his throat burned and his stomach muscles hurt from the involuntary ejection of everything that was in there. He was vomiting so much it felt like his soul was also being ejected from his body. Joey moaned into the toilet, being too weak to lift his head from inside the rim. If it weren't for his arms holding him up on the outside rim of the toilet, he'd be completely on the floor. Joey spat out the remains of whatever was left inside of his mouth. It left a horrible pungent sour taste on his tongue.

"Well, well, well," Honda said, finally getting up after watching that horrible episode. "Why does this not surprise me?"

"Fuck off," Joey mumbled, while still spitting in the toilet. He just couldn't get the disgusting taste of bile out of his mouth. Everything was still blurry and disorienting around him, and he couldn't figure out which way the exit to the stall was. He stood up – or at least attempted to before his legs gave out on him and he crashed to the floor again. His arms and legs were sprawled out and he looked at the ceiling – or maybe it was the floor, Joey didn't know. All he knew was that it kept spinning and Joey couldn't focus on one part of anything before his eyes crossed.

He _did_ have way too much to drink. After he lost track of Mokuba, Joey kept grabbing glasses and glasses of champagne from the club's servers, downing the champagne like it was water, and he overestimated his ability to hold his liquor. After thinking about what had happened that night with his dad and sister, he stressed himself out to no end and he just wanted to erase all that bullshit from his mind – and it worked. The alcohol had a high percentage volume and it didn't take long for Joey to get fucked up; a little too fucked up for his liking, but a part of him was happy that he was able to forget his troubles, so his plan worked.

Honda took Joey by the arms and Otogi took him by the legs. "How the hell are we gonna get him outta here?" Otogi inquired. "He's dead weight now."

Honda shrugged. "We'll find a way." He groaned and grunted as he lifted the upper part of Joey's body but Joey was trying to squirm free for some reason.

"Ah! Let me go…I gotta…" he thrashed out of Honda and Otogi's grip and sprinted back to the toilet and threw up again.

Honda sighed deeply and ran his fingers through his brown hair in frustration. "This is gonna be a long ass night."

* * *

"Seto's gonna kill me."

Mokuba was at a food bar grabbing a plate of fruit before he sat down at one of the glass tables by himself. He hadn't eaten before he snuck out of the Kaiba Mansion to join Mana and the others; they would've left him if he did because they were in a rush. Good thing this club had a restaurant or else Mokuba would've been shit outta luck.

Mokuba was a pretty brave and daring kid, but his brother always scared the hell out of him when he was upset with him. Mokuba was in his prime and it was a time in his life when he wanted to have fun, but his older brother didn't believe in it. He never wanted to have fun. He couldn't even remember a time that Kaiba was fun or enjoyable to be around. He always had a stick up his ass, even when nothing was seemingly wrong_. If you're gonna take over Kaiba Corp one day, you need to get your ass in gear_, Seto would say. Sure he was the president and head honcho of the place, but did he always have to act like such a hard ass all the time? He showed absolutely no feelings or emotions or sympathy towards anyone except his brother, but even so, it was hard to get Kaiba to open up. It was like the guy wasn't even human.

He was almost always at work, never took any vacations, barely ate full meals, barely slept at night, hated being around people at parties and business meetings, conventions, deals, conferences, etc even if he or Mokuba set them up. But that's what assistants were made for. Kaiba was like another type of species altogether. Part of the reason Mokuba did the things he did was to get a rise out of his brother. At least when Kaiba was upset or angry, he shown some sign that he wasn't an android.

Mokuba knew that his brother loved him; he just wished that Kaiba would show it a lot more. He was so hard to understand, much less crack.

He kept getting strange looks from people who walked past him and it was starting to bug him. Maybe they suspected that Mokuba was too young to be in the club. Or maybe they saw him and knew that he was Seto Kaiba's little brother. Whatever the case, it was making Mokuba a little nervous. He still had half a plate of fruit left over and he didn't want it to go to waste. The strawberries were especially sweet and juicy, almost like the kind that the cooks made at home, except theirs were a bit tangier.

_If anyone here finds out that I'm only sixteen,_ _I'm dead meat,_ he thought. He ate his fruit a little faster so he could go find Atem and the others. Being alone in a huge unfamiliar club was starting to frighten him.

Mokuba felt an annoying buzz in his pocket and he realized that it was his phone vibrating. He felt a little chill go down his spine, not to mention a feeling of apprehension.

_Oh dear, please don't let it be Seto._

But despite Kaiba Corp's success and fortune and pretty much having everything he wanted at his disposal, Mokuba wasn't quite that lucky.

His heart dropped when he saw his brother's name pop up on the screen.

_Where the hell are you? It's late and you're not in your room. I swear to God Mokuba, if you've snuck out again, your ass will be on lockdown until you're 18. _

Mokuba cringed at his brother's stern words, but at the same time couldn't help but feel….that his brother loved, cared and was worried sick over him, despite being obviously pissed off. It was weird, but Mokuba actually enjoyed the attention, even if it was negative.

He was about to answer his brother back, when he heard someone say, "Hey, kid!" and before he could be caught, Mokuba took off.

Nobody else in the club was younger than he was, so he knew he was the target. Mokuba sped past seemingly hundreds of people who all looked like a blur to him because of how fast he was running. He was on the third floor, and needed to get to the first floor to reach a possible exit, not in the front where security was, but in the back or the side or…somewhere else!

There was a long corridor that seemed empty, and looked creepy as fuck but Mokuba didn't have a choice but to run down it because he was being chased by the club personnel and maybe even the owner himself. He heard footsteps getting closer as he ran around the corner and down the flight of double stairs because the escalator would be way too slow and there were people on it. When he got to the bottom, however, even more staff confronted him. They were definitely on to him now.

They backed Mokuba up until he was against the wall, and they went to lunge for him, but he ducked, quickly crawled between their legs, got back up on his feet and took off again.

As soon as he got up to run, he collided with two waiters carrying huge trays of food, and everything went flying into the air and landed on the people nearby.

_Fuck, I'm never gonna get outta here alive,_ Mokuba thought frantically as he sped past the waiters who were screaming obscenities at him.

He was on the second floor now and didn't know how to navigate his way through the numerous tables, and he even tripped over one, making the whole thing topple over, sending plates and glasses shattering on the floor. By this time, the whole entire club knew Mokuba was there because he was causing such a ruckus, and if he didn't get out quick, he'd be caught and probably even arrested.

He kept running until he found a pair of double balcony doors, probably for private parties, but at that point Mokuba didn't care. Maybe there was another row of stairs that he could run down instead of looking for the main exit on the first floor. It was worth a shot.

He forced the door open, and luckily there was nobody outside sitting on the small round tables that had white curtains atop. That gave Mokuba an idea.

His pursuers were right on his tail and Mokuba hid under one of the tables before they spotted him outside on the balcony, sitting with his knees against his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. He held his breath because he was panting so hard and his heart pounded like crazy. Beads of sweat trickled down his face and his jet-black hair was matted on his face. He felt like a sauna, but Mokuba knew he wouldn't be able to move an inch until the goons gave up looking for him in the balcony and searched elsewhere.

He honestly was scared. Mokuba knew that by now everyone that worked there discovered that he was either too young to be in the club and/or he was Seto Kaiba's brother. Someone would then inform Kaiba that they found his little brother at an adult organization unsupervised and then….

Mokuba didn't even want to think about what Kaiba would do to him when he found out. He'd probably be grounded until his 21st birthday. Kaiba already knew that he snuck out but when he would find out where he snuck off to, all hell would break loose.

It suddenly got quiet and Mokuba opened his eyes. He didn't see any silhouette or shadows of the guys that were after him on the balcony so he seemed to be alone. But maybe that was because they wanted to lead Mokuba into a false sense of security. His legs started to cramp up though and his ass was numb. He couldn't sit in that position forever.

He was scared shitless by his phone vibrating in his pocket again. Oh great, Kaiba was texting again.

_Seriously kid, where are you? Stop kidding around. _

Mokuba's eyebrows arched as he stared at the message. If he didn't know any better, he would say Kaiba almost sounded…._worried. _Sure, Mokuba wasn't responding to his texts, but it still felt weird that his brother would show such a vulnerable side of himself that he dare wouldn't show anyone else in the entire world. Mokuba was taken aback.

But he didn't have time to answer the message then and there. There were still people looking for him and he had get out of there, now. Slowly he came from under the table and groaned as pain etched his knees and legs from sitting in one position for such a long time. He quietly stretched and stood up, looking over the balcony walls. He saw two guys walking down the street in the opposite direction of the club, with their arms around a third guy. They seemed to be literally lifting him up from under his arms and dragging him, because he didn't want to walk or something. Mokuba couldn't put his finger on it right away, but the guy in the middle looked so familiar, even from far away. He squinted his eyes harder to see if that would help him recognize who it was, and then it hit him.

The torn sleeve at the shoulder. The dirty blonde hair.

"Joeyyyyyyyy!" Mokuba screamed at the top of his lungs. "Joey, help me!"

The two guys that were carrying him stopped in their tracks and turned around, showing all of their faces. It _was_ Joey! But he looked extremely disheveled from head to toe and if Mokuba had to guess, Joey was too drunk to even walk. But that didn't matter. Atem, Mahad and Mana were nowhere to be found and Mokuba knew he couldn't run back in there to find them. He'd be caught.

The balcony doors slid open once again and the same squad that was chasing after Mokuba returned when they heard him screaming. "There he is!"

When Mokuba heard a gruff voice behind him, he cried out in surprise and made a beeline for the gutters on the side of the building. They didn't look very sturdy at all but it was either slide down them or get caught and be at the mercy of these goons – and if Mokuba could help it, the latter wouldn't happen.

One of the goons grabbed him before he got to the ledge and he squirmed to break free, but the grip was too strong for his liking. "Get off me…ah!" he screamed when the brute squeezed his wrist even tighter. "Let me go! Please let me go!"

To Mokuba's horror, he felt a strong arm wrap around his throat and make itself comfortable there as he desperately gasped for air. His vision started to become black, but it took the last bit of common sense in him to bite down on the guy's arm as hard as he could, making him release his hold on Mokuba. He shook the cobwebs loose before making a getaway for the gutters again, sliding down them and unfortunately tearing the front of his t-shirt before hitting the ground with a hard smack. He landed right on his ankle and couldn't put much weight on it, but he yelled and yelled Joey's name until he finally reached them.

"Joey," he said breathlessly, clutching at his chest to slow down his racing heart. "I got caught."

Joey, still obviously very drunk, didn't recognize who Mokuba was at first. He unwrapped his arms from around Honda and Otogi and fell to his knees before Mokuba. He would've fell face first on the ground if Honda didn't grab his waist to hold him up. Joey put his hands on Mokuba's shoulders and brought his face close to his.

"Ohhhhh," he said, blowing his strong breath in Mokuba's face, making the boy's face flinch. "You're Kaiba aren't you?" he chuckled as if he cracked a good joke or something.

"Yes, Mokuba Kaiba."

"Oh shit," Otogi said from behind. "Mokuba Kaiba? So that means – "

"Seto Kaiba is my brother, yes," Mokuba interrupted, somewhat aggravated. "Look, can we finish this meet and greet later? I got a team full of club bouncers on my ass and I need to get home. My brother already knows that I'm missing and I'm sure he's flippin' shit by now."

Honda sighed. "Okay, fine. Come with us. But you're gonna explain everything when we get in the car." He and Otogi picked Joey up by the arms and legs again and headed for Honda's car as quickly as they could and Mokuba followed closely from behind.

* * *

Yugi was just stepping outside of the bathroom on the first floor when he saw a train full of guys all dressed in black make a runway for the main door. Everyone had their full attention on them until they all vanished outside the club and then they went back to minding their own business.

"Weird," Yugi muttered, but he didn't put any more thought behind it. It was probably some idiot who got too drunk and was causing chaos.

He sent Joey, Anzu and Honda all texts and got no responses from them whatsoever. It sort of discouraged Yugi because he hadn't spend any time with them at all and that was the whole reason he even came to the club.

Well…that and there was one more incentive.

He couldn't seem to get Atem out of his mind. They'd only locked eyes for a few seconds but to Yugi, it seemed like forever that he was lost in those crimson pools of beauty. His skin seemed like a darker shade of porcelain and smooth creamy peanut butter mixed together painted over layers of lean, firm and thick muscles. It made Yugi blush to think about how it would feel to simply touch the man's frame and get a feel of his that magnificent body against his fingers. He'd never seen anyone so…gorgeous before. Not that he'd never gave himself a chance to because Yugi was always so shy and introverted around attractive people, male or female.

That didn't stop Yugi from wanting to see him again, though. It was something of a magnetic force that drawn Yugi to want to find Atem again and maybe get to know him. But would he even want to?

Yugi didn't really find himself interesting in any sense. He'd only gone out on a date with one person before – a girl named Rebecca Hawkins, and after he ended up in the middle of downtown in an alleyway dumpster with only half of his clothes on, needless to say, Yugi was put off of dating for a long time.

It didn't help much that he wasn't very confident to begin with, nor did he believe in his communication skills all that well. His job at the casino didn't really require him to engage in conversation with customers as much as, say, someone like Joey or Honda. People made him nervous, and being attractive just made it worse.

But maybe this time, things would be different. Yugi was almost anxious to find this guy again, even if it was just to admire his frame from head to toe and to get a glimpse of his debonair good looks before he left the club. It wasn't like anything was going to happen after that, was it? Heaven forbid the guy would actually talk to him. What would Yugi say? He was totally rich obviously, judging by his entourage and the limo that he came out of, so he was probably loaded and could snag way better looking men – or women, who knew if he was even gay or not.

Yugi groaned, trying not to get too frustrated from his clashing thoughts. Maybe it was his hormones talking. Or maybe he was just starting to realize and accept that he was lonely and wanted some company. Maybe even some companionship.

But for the time being, he needed to find his friends. He looked down at his phone again to check the time. 3:09 am. Great. Three hours in the club, and he'd done absolutely nothing, except sit in the bathroom and sulk. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Yugi sighed and decided to try and text Joey again. It wouldn't be much of a surprise that the reason he didn't text back was because he was too fucked up to do so, but it wouldn't hurt, and –

"Oof!"

_Splat!_

The sound of shattered glass rang through Yugi's ears, followed by a fountain of liquid that spray in his face and splattered his clothes and his eyes, sending a burning sensation through his pupils. Nevertheless he bent down to help the person he'd bump into remove the glass from the floor so they wouldn't step on it.

"Oh my gosh, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz, I wasn't watching where I was going. Here, let me help you."

"Heh, it's quite alright. I wasn't watching where I was going either."

That voice. It sounded so husky and yet calming and sweet. Yugi was using a napkin to pick up the shattered pieces of glass on the floor and initially didn't see the person that he bumped into. He'd already felt embarrassed enough just knocking into them. Seeing the look of disdain on their face would make him feel even worse.

"I'm sorry…have we met?" the unknown person asked.

"No, I don't think s – "

Yugi's entire body went stiff when he finally looked up and saw who he was talking to. "Oh," he said feebly. "It's…it's you."

He could hardly take a breath in when he locked eyes with Atem. The man was even prettier up close! Those crimson eyes seemed like high beams now and they stared so deeply and intently into Yugi's own clear amethyst eyes so much that it made him shiver, but he would blame it on the chilly air from the vents if asked.

Atem was so beautiful, Yugi couldn't even think straight. His face was as smooth as a baby's bottom it seemed, and his high cheekbones complimented his face even more. His eyes were even more refined and they seemed to stare straight into Yugi's very soul. It was intimidating to say the least.

And likewise, in Atem's eyes, Yugi was just as breathtakingly beautiful. He loved the way Yugi's cheeks would turn red from shyness or embarrassment when Atem looked at him. He found it adorable. His skin was somewhat pale, maybe from lack of sun exposure, but that was frivolous. Yugi still looked wonderful in his eyes.

The two were crouched down on the floor on their hands and knees looking at each other so intently. It was like the entire world had vanished and it was only the two of them left in the whole club. Yugi suddenly couldn't feel his legs, or the floor beneath him and he stood up, totally forgetting about the glass on the ground, still meeting Atem's gaze.

"Well, hello little one," Atem said so coolly, bringing himself closer to Yugi so that he could hear him. "I've been wanting to see you again."

Yugi's stomach dropped. "R-r-really?" he stuttered, hating how small his voice sounded. But he couldn't help it, Atem had taken his breath away. And it was just so unreal how much interest he was showing Yugi. It was nothing like he'd ever felt before.

"Yes," Atem said, coming even closer to Yugi, making the boy squirm internally. "I was wondering if you would keep me company for a bit. Can I buy you a drink? What's your name, little one?"

Gods, he was so sexy. Such a strikingly handsome and seemingly perfect human being intimidated Yugi so much. It was as if Atem was just a figment of his imagination, because he just seemed too good to be true.

Yugi struggled and fought to find his voice. He could smell Atem's cologne invade his nostrils as he stood so close to him. He was a little shorter than Atem, and he had a bird's eye view of his chest, and even through his leather shirt, Yugi could see his pecs bulging through them. He slowly lifted his head to meet Atem's gaze and he saw such a soft expression in those deep, seductive crimson eyes of his. Yugi took half a step back away because he was afraid that he would faint if he didn't create a little bit of distance.

"Little one?" Atem could see the trepidation on Yugi's face and it genuinely worried him. He'd never met someone who was so afraid of his presence before, almost as if he was some kind of king or pharaoh. Deep down it made Atem want Yugi even more.

"What's your name? I'd love to know. My name's Atem." He held his hand out to shake Yugi's to somehow relax and reassure the boy that he didn't bite – unless he was into that sort of thing.

"Y-Y-Y-Yugi," was his meek response, feeling childish and stupid for not being able to speak correctly, as he took Atem's hands intertwined with his own and squeezed gently. Yugi's knees felt like jello when he felt Atem's supple skin against his. It was like touching a beautiful portrait or display of a famous piece at the Domino Museum.

Atem couldn't help but chuckle at Yugi's adorable edginess. He'd never met someone that was so nervous to be in his presence before. He was going to need some alcohol to help loosen this charming little angel up. Yugi was way too tense.

"It's nice to meet you Y-Y-Y-Yugi," Atem teased, trying to lighten up the mood a little. He saw an embarrassed yet amused smile spread across Yugi's face and Yugi felt his cheeks burn even more. "Can I buy you a drink? Maybe help you relax a bit."

"Sure, if you want to," Yugi replied. He was feeling like a high school girl with a crush and he hated it so much. Usually he could have shown a little bit more dignity and poise, but Atem's aura had reduced him into a puddle of timidity.

The two of them walked to the nearest bar and Atem asked Yugi what he wanted to drink. Yugi wasn't very big on alcohol so he just asked Atem what he recommended.

"How about an apple bomb?" Atem suggested. "I frequently get those."

Yugi nodded, honestly being indifferent about whatever he drank, since he barely knew anything about alcohol, much less what it tasted like.

When the two were served their drinks, Yugi noticed that they were in shot glasses instead of regular ones. He watched Atem down his drink like it was water. Then he looked at Yugi.

"Well are you going to drink it?" he laughed, finding Yugi's hesitation quite cute. "It won't bite you, I promise."

_Although I'd love to have the pleasure of doing just that,_ Atem thought. Deep down, he wanted to see if he could get Yugi drunk enough to go home and have sex with him.

Yugi took the shot in his hand and raised it a little. "Cheers," he said, and quickly swallowed the drink, and immediately feeling the burn in his chest and the hint of apple and red bull on his tongue. He wasn't a frequent drinker so at first it was overwhelming, but once the burn dissipated, Yugi got used to the taste.

He was far from drunk though, so Atem ordered another round of shots. He wanted to get to know Yugi, get inside of his head long enough for him to get comfortable enough inside his bed. And then it was lights out for the two of them.

"So tell me Yugi," Atem said after hitting his second shot. "What's a lovely young man such as yourself doing in this type of atmosphere?"

Lovely? That definitely made Yugi blush some more. At least now, he knew Atem was remotely interested in him. "Well…I actually came here with some friends of mine, but we got separated over three hours ago. I haven't seen them since. I'm sure at least one of them is shit faced by now though." He laughed when Joey popped into head.

"Oh?" Atem took a sip of his third shot a little slower, so the buzz wouldn't hit him too hard at once. "Are your friends as beautiful as you are?"

Atem's unexpected compliment made Yugi choke on his drink and he sputtered as it went down the wrong pipe. Atem patted Yugi on the back, once again amused by how Yugi was acting.

When Yugi recovered from the flattering accolade, he spoke again. "I wouldn't really consider myself beautiful or attractive by any means…"

"Why not?" Atem moved his seat closer to Yugi's. The boy's breath became more panicked again. "From where I'm sitting, I see a beautiful, flawless creature."

Atem was definitely flirting at this moment. That, Yugi was aware of. Whether or not he meant what he said was yet to be believed.

"Well, thank you Atem," he said fighting back the flush on his face. "You're not so bad looking, if I do say so myself. To tell you the truth, I've never seen anyone so handsome."

"You don't say? Well thank you Yugi. It means a lot coming from you."

Yugi's eyebrows arched. "Really?"

Atem nodded, giving Yugi a wink and making him blush once again. He ordered two more rounds of Bacardi shots, making it five in total. The beverage was 40% alcohol, which meant it wouldn't take much to intoxicate you. Yugi was feeling somewhat of a buzz, but not enough to do anything crazy.

"But why me, though? I'm sure you've heard it plenty of times from other people right?" asked Yugi as he sipped his shot slowly and then quickly flushed it down his throat. It made him hiss as the warmth invaded his chest and his eyes dilated.

He definitely was starting to feel a little relaxed.

Atem noticed and ordered another shot for Yugi. "Sure, but it doesn't mean very much to me, especially since most people are only after me for my looks or my money. You don't seem to be like that."

"Haha, most certainly not," Yugi said with his speech somewhat slurred. Six shots, and he was beginning to feel more relaxed and open. "I've never met anyone like you Atemmmmmm…."

"Someone's getting a bit tipsy yes?" Atem chuckled, taking his sixth shot as well. He was happy that Yugi was finally starting to be his true self and not too on edge anymore.

His plan was working like a charm. If Atem could get a few more shots into Yugi, maybe he would be too drunk to say no to him. The more he was around Yugi, the more he wanted him in his bed, and if he played his cards right and charmed Yugi a lot more, he'd have his wish. Part of him couldn't help himself. He was at his prime and his sex drive was through the roof and Yugi seemed like the perfect release.

Seven shots. Yugi's vision was blurred now. He saw two Atems in front of him and couldn't figure out which one was the real one. But at that point he didn't care. He looked so hot. And yummy. Yugi threw his hands around Atem's neck and giggled in his ear.

"You know what, Atem," Yugi said flirtatiously rubbing his neck. "When I first saw you? I thought you were sooooo sexy."

Atem, loving what he was hearing, wrapped his arms around Yugi's waist and pulled his chair closer to his. He saw that his pupils were dilated and his eyes were half lidded. His breath reeked of alcohol but he didn't mind at all. He was getting what he wanted. He loved this side of Yugi; it turned him on. Plus Yugi couldn't keep his hands off him, which made him love it even more.

"Mmm, sexy huh?" he said, bringing his forehead together with Yugi's. He was starting to feel a bit drunk too.

"Y-Yeah," Yugi panted, cupping Atem's cheeks in his hands. They felt so radiantly soft and smooth. "Mmm, I need more."

"More what, little one?"

"More drinks!" Yugi answered with an enthusiastic tone. "Come on Atemmy, don't you wanna make me feel good?" Yugi threw his head back and cackled.

"Of course I do," Atem said, nibbling on Yugi's neck and being rewarded with a faint moan to his ear.

Atem ordered yet another round of shots for he and Yugi. Before Yugi gulped his down, he stopped him for a sec.

"Let us toast, Yugi," he suggested. "To new friends." He lifted his shot glass up a bit, hoping Yugi wasn't too inebriated to understand.

"New friend!" Yugi repeated in a child like tone, swallowing his drink a little too fast. He whipped his head back a little too far, overestimating the distance from his head to the floor. Atem gasped and grabbed Yugi's arms and pulled them towards him so he could sit back up. He saw nothing but gleam and excitement in the boy's eyes now.

"This is…so good…the drinks…thank you Atem," Yugi beamed, bringing their foreheads together again. He was breathing hard as if he was running a marathon.

Atem couldn't help but laugh. Yugi was so amusing and fun. He knew there was a burst of energy and spontaneity just dying to come out. Now he had Yugi right where he wanted him.

Jason Derulo's "The Other Side" suddenly blasted through the entire club and Yugi jumped out of his seat. He loved this song. He stood in front of Atem and held him by the waist.

"Dance with me, Atem! Dance with me! I wanna see your moves," Yugi exclaimed, goading Atem out of his seat. He was full on drunk now and felt so alive. He could barely see straight nor did he know where the dance floor was, but he counted on Atem to help him get there.

He grabbed Atem's arm and dragged him to the dance floor, whichever way it was, and then Yugi saw an open space and just planted himself there. He turned around to face Atem, who couldn't stop smiling and took his arms around his own waist and pressed their chests together. His plan to get Yugi to feel comfortable around him was a success.

As the two danced the night away, the lyrics of the song made Yugi think about his current situation with Atem. It seemed to fit their story perfectly:

_Tonight we'll just get drunk  
Disturb the peace  
Bind your hands all over me  
And then you bite your lip  
Whisper and say, "We're going all the way."_

_Tonight,_  
_Take me to the other side_  
_Sparks fly like the Fourth of July_  
_Just take me to the other side_  
_I see that sexy look in your eyes_  
_And I know we ain't friends anymore_  
_If we walk down this road_  
_We'll be lovers for sure_  
_So tonight kiss me like it's do or die_  
_And take me to the other side_

_This could be perfect (Yeah)_  
_But we won't know unless we try (try)_  
_I know you're nervous_  
_So just sit back and let me drive_

_Tonight we'll just get drunk_  
_Disturb the peace_  
_Find your hands all over me_  
_And then you bite your lip_  
_Whisper and say, "We're going all the way."_

_Tonight,_  
_Take me to the other side_  
_Sparks fly like the Fourth of July_  
_Just take me to the other side_  
_I see that sexy look in your eyes_  
_And I know we ain't friends anymore_  
_If we walk down this road_  
_We'll be lovers for sure_  
_So tonight kiss me like it's do or die_  
_And take me to the other side_

Yugi and Atem held each other close, moving their hips in sync with the song from side to side. Atem then took Yugi by the hand and twirled his body around, putting Yugi's back to his chest and then wrapped his arms around his waist. Yugi took in a deep seeded breath as he felt Atem's body heat invade his back and he rested his head on Atem's shoulder. For some reason that he couldn't put his finger on, this felt so right to Yugi, and even though he was drunk, he was still aware of Atem's presence and his arms snaked around him.

Atem could feel Yugi writhing under his grip and he wondered if this was a good thing or bad. He couldn't deny that feeling Yugi's body gyrate against his gave him a major erection. "Yugi," he whispered in his ear, trying to contain and put a lid over his raging hormones. "What are you thinking about right now?"

Yugi garbled something incoherently and rested his head back on Atem's shoulder again. With his dilated amethyst orbs, he looked Atem in his own crimson eyes and smiled, making Atem go weak in the knees at his oh so adorable expression.

"You're…a good dancer Atemmy," Yugi grinned, sucking in his bottom lip, causing Atem's pants to get tight. He had a good idea of what was on Yugi's mind, but he wanted Yugi to admit it, rather than probe it out of him. For some reason, it gave Atem an ego boost.

"You're not so bad, yourself little one," Atem replied, twirling him around so that they were facing each other again.

_If we walk down this road, we'll be lovers for sure._

Yugi looked Atem in the eyes after listening to those lyrics. At this point, he definitely wanted to be lovers with Atem. Considering how the night started, not being able to drink or hang out with any of his friends the entire time, Yugi could safely agree that meeting Atem made up for everything.

He didn't notice Atem bringing his face closer to his because of his distorted vision, but once he felt a sensation on his nose, Yugi flinched a little. Atem had one hand around Yugi's waist the other held Yugi's hand. Atem brought his lips to Yugi's ear and whispered oh so gently.

"May I kiss you, little one?" he coaxed in a soothing tone.

Yugi began to semi-hyperventilate. Atem's deep and husky voice sent chills down his spine and the rest of his body.

"Yes….please," Yugi mewled, feeling Atem's breath on his nose as Atem angled his head, seizing Yugi's face up and down before closing his eyes and pressing their lips together.

Yugi felt immediate arousal from the chaste kiss and he craved more. He wrapped his arms around Atem's neck and pressed harder against his lips and moaned when he felt Atem grab his ass and squeezed, not to mention the taste of apple on his lips. Atem's tongue tickled Yugi's bottom lip, teasing and asking for entrance into Yugi's mouth, and Yugi was more than happy to let Atem explore him from the inside. Yugi tasted good, Atem soon discovered and he swirled his tongue inside deeper locking Yugi's lips inside of his, not wanting to lose that feeling of warmth and moisture inside of Yugi's mouth. He didn't want the little one to get away from him.

"You...taste so good Yugi," Atem drawled, entangling Yugi's tri colored hair in his fingers, and dove right back into his mouth for more.

Their heads moved from side to side at different angles, trying to reach a different peak of stimulation between their legs, and their hands traced everywhere on each other's bodies, examining each part carefully. People were watching, but Yugi was too drunk to care and Atem never gave a damn what anyone thought anyway. Let them stare.

"Yugi," Atem said, breaking their drunken kiss from being out of breath. "I want you. I want you now. Tell me you want me too." He grabbed Yugi's member and gave it a good squeeze for good measure. He couldn't keep his desires to himself anymore.

Yugi cried out in surprise, but quickly composed himself. "Mmm, yes," he moaned, groping Atem from the side, and then bringing their chests together while holding the back of his neck, his amethyst eyes now full of fiery passion and lust.

"I want you so bad. Take me home with you _now._"


	4. Promiscuous

The ending of this chapter is lemon scented. You've been warned! ;-)

* * *

Anzu and Miho were so drunk that one of the club bouncers had to call a cab for them to take them home. They stood outside of the club near the curb groping and kissing each other relentlessly as if nothing else mattered in the world. Security had to tell them to break it up numerous times because they were disturbing the line of people that still wanted last minute access inside the club. They didn't care though. They were too intoxicated to care. All they wanted was each other.

The two girls danced the night away inside, and Miho could no longer deny Anzu's beauty, not to mention the way she moved her hips and ass as she grinded against her on the dance floor. Being an aspiring dancer made it easy for Anzu to show off what she could really do and Miho was impressed to say the least. Miho didn't even attend the club expecting to meet someone so gorgeous and seductive before, but she didn't regret it either. For now she was about to share a night of passion with this beautiful doe, or at least, that's what she was hoping for. Anzu seemed really interested in going home with her.

The two girls were making out when security was still getting gripes and complaints from the people in line waiting to get in. Some of them were disgusted by what they were seeing; others – mainly the horny guys – loved it.

One of the bouncers approached the girls and sighed deeply.

"Ladies, do you mind doing that somewhere else?" he complained. "Have some respect for the other customers."

Anzu and Miho untangled themselves from each other and looked up at the bouncer with a look of disdain on their faces.

"Oh, tell the customers to fuck off!" Miho exclaimed, followed by an immediate cackle from Anzu. She held Miho by the waist, as if she would topple over if she didn't and Miho caught her by cupping her cheeks and planting her lips against Anzu's again. The sweet taste of alcohol that invaded Miho's tongue made her want Anzu even more.

"Come home with me, Anzu," she pleaded, batting her eyelashes and winking, perhaps to persuade Anzu more by mentally seducing her.

Anzu, despite being drunk, hesitated a bit. "W-well – "

"I can make it worth your while," Miho interrupted, purring in her ear. That made Anzu totally weak in the knees and she buckled as Miho nibbled on her lobe.

How could she say no to her? Miho was a goddess on two legs and if Anzu refused her advances, who knew if she would ever see Miho again? She wasn't the party or clubbing type. She actually only came here to babysit her best friends – who were nowhere to be found by the way –and just hang out with them while they drink themselves into a coma. But meeting Miho put a damper on those plans quick. And Anzu was glad. She would have to thank Yugi, Joey and Honda later for ditching her, otherwise she would've never stumbled upon Miho.

"Well? What do you say Anzu?" Miho asked again, nuzzling her nose.

Anzu smiled, bringing her lips on Miho's soft, supple ones, as if she was saying yes. She was actually too drunk to comprehend was Miho was asking her, but whatever it was, Anzu was sure it was something really hot and tempting and she wouldn't regret it. Miho rested her head on Anzu's shoulders as a taxicab pulled up in front of them.

"Finally," someone standing in line said.

Miho and Anzu entered the cab, but not before Miho flipped the person the bird and sticking her tongue out. "You're just mad because you're not getting any bitch!" she laughed and plopped right next to Anzu.

When the car took off, Miho almost immediately lay on her back and pulled Anzu on top of her. She entangled her fingers in Anzu's auburn hair before putting another hand behind her neck and engulfing her lips with Anzu's. A moan escaped Anzu's lips as she repaid Miho's enticing gesture with one of her own, rubbing her hand under Miho's shirt and caressing her breasts. The taxi cab driver heard Anzu's moaning and shot his head around to see what was going on.

"Ugh, not again!" he cried. "Wait til you get to the hotel with that bullshit! Aghhh, fucking whores have no self respect!"

Anzu and Miho couldn't help but explode in laughter because of how the cab driver said it, as if this was a regular thing to him. The two girls continued to make out as he drove down the strip of Pyramid Ave.

"I need an address from one of you," he grimaced, as he stopped at a red light.

"Oh," Miho giggled and reached into her purse and pulled out her driver's license. "That uhh…whatever it says," she chuckled, throwing her head down Anzu's chest. She was just too dizzy to grasp anything, much less give directions.

The driver grumbled something under his breath and drove off when the light turned green.

As the car sped down the road, the two continued their make out session, groping and caressing each other, not caring what was going on around them and giving no regard to the driver who was now so close to just dropping them off at the nearest police station and having them arrested for indecent exposure or public display of affection. He was sure that they'd be in jail for one of those offenses.

The cabbie was happy that they reached Miho's place because he was tired of hearing them moan and pant in the backseat, especially if he wasn't allowed to get in on the action.

The driver looked at them through the rearview mirror and cleared his throat. Anzu and Miho didn't seem to notice that the car even stopped. But when they heard his curt voice, they suddenly stopped and blushed when they realized they were being watched again.

"Ahem…well," Miho said, embarrassed. She reached into her purse sloppily and pulled out what looked like a twenty-dollar bill. Her vision was distorted, so she wasn't sure, nor did she care at that moment. The cabbie snorted and snatched the cash out of her hand and told them to get the hell out of his cab and do that hanky panky bullshit elsewhere. The two girls couldn't help but laugh at this guy's impatience with them, partly because they were intoxicated; otherwise they probably would've taken the guy seriously.

Miho held Anzu by the waist and she walked forward while Anzu walked backwards up the steps to her apartment. The two were still lip locked and bodies pressed against each other. If it weren't for Miho guiding her steps, Anzu would probably fall to the ground from losing her balance.

They continued walking until Anzu's back hit the door. That's when things really got heated.

Miho pushed up on Anzu even more and she took her blazer off from being too heated. She then continued to kiss Anzu, coaxing her lips with her tongue asking for entrance. Anzu invited her inside by opening her mouth a little more and feeling immediate results. Miho was an even better kisser than she first imagined. She wrapped her arms around Anzu's waist and deepened the kiss even more, not wanting any space in between their mouths.

Anzu was beginning to feel hot herself. She fumbled for her keys so that she could open the door - not fully aware that they weren't even at her own apartment - and continue this inside but she was so distracted by Miho's tongue down her throat that she couldn't manage to even unzip her purse. Ahh, whatever, she'll take care of that later. There were more important matters at hand.

Like the fact that Miho was slipping her hand under Anzu's shirt. It made her moan immediately, breaking their fervent kiss as she felt Miho unclasping her bra from behind. It felt somewhat unsettling, but Anzu was too drunk and aroused to even know what Miho was doing at first. She cupped Miho's face and planted her lips on hers again, wanting to continue tasting her sweet and full lips against hers. Miho was so edible, so tasty, Anzu couldn't get enough of her. It almost felt like it was destiny was on her side that night.

Everything was going perfectly. Though they were outside and in public groping and feeling each other up and down, Anzu didn't regret it one bit.

The moment turned sour however, when Miho began to feel up Anzu's skirt and into her panties. She then began to massage Anzu underneath and the sudden sensation made Anzu abruptly separate her lips away from Miho's.

Miho then glued her lips on Anzu's neck and began sucking while holding the back of her neck. Anzu couldn't deny enjoying that, but feeling someone touch in between her legs was a bit awkward. A lot awkward.

"Uhmm…Miho," she managed to say through panted breaths. But Miho didn't seem to hear her. In fact, it only made her rub harder between her legs. Anzu squirmed at the sensation.

"Miho…wait….please," she said as she began to falter under Miho's tantalizing touches. She couldn't deny the effect they were having on her. Miho knew exactly where to touch to send Anzu into a tizzy.

But this couldn't continue, not like it was, and certainly not out in public. Anzu had a reputation and didn't want to be known as an exhibitionist.

Miho seemingly became more aggressive when Anzu asked her to stop. It's not that Miho didn't know her boundaries, but when she came in contact with Anzu's lips and body, she couldn't control herself. She wanted to go all the way.

"Miho…Miho please!" Anzu was getting frantic and her mood was going south, just as Miho's hand was going south as well, in a way that she wasn't planning. "Please, wait." She then took Miho's hand from under her skirt, and broke their kiss regretfully as she looked Miho in the eyes. She saw nothing but red across Miho's face and her lips were even a bit pale, probably from lack of oxygen.

Anzu held Miho by the shoulders as she let her recover from the onslaught of kisses and touches that she just bestowed upon her. Anzu had never been sexually mauled like that in public and although a large part of her did like it, she was never the type of person to be into someone just for the sex. Miho seemed like the type of girl you'd be best friends with first, and then possible lovers, if it even got that far. Anzu wasn't too sure now.

"Anzu, what's wrong?" Miho asked just as sweet as she could. "Don't you want this?"

"Of…of course I do," Anzu stammered, still trying to slow down her racing heart and recover from the arousing assault on her body. "I just…" she swallowed hard, but her throat felt like a desert. "I just think you're too sweet of a girl to just have sex with. I want to be more than just a fling with you, Miho."

Miho's eyebrows arched. "So are you dumping me? Is that what's going on here?"

"No, no!" Anzu protested. "I'm saying that I wanna take things slower. I just don't want this to be a sex thing. You're worth more than that Miho, I can tell."

The two of them sat in an awkward silence on the ledge of the steps in front of them. Anzu felt bad about ruining the hot-blooded moment, but she just didn't feel right about doing this with someone she just met. She couldn't imagine Miho not feeling the same way. After all, why would she come all this way if she weren't expecting something a little bit more? Anzu didn't live that close to the club.

Miho wrapped her arms around her legs and rested her chin on the top of her knees, not knowing what to say next. Sure, she liked Anzu, but wasn't sure how far they would go, considering the quick and steady way they hooked up. She hadn't even tried to get to know Anzu. Perhaps now, she should have.

As a friendly gesture to make up for her hasty and evidently forceful advances, Miho reached out a hand to Anzu as a peace offering. "Hi."

Anzu couldn't help but blush at Miho's cute attempt at starting over. How could she deny Miho now? At least she cared enough to respect Anzu's wishes. This was one of the many reasons that Anzu turned lesbian. Girls could understand better than guys why she didn't want sex on the first night.

Anzu took Miho's hand and gently squeezed. "Hi. I'm Anzu."

Miho beamed and giggled in a way, feeling a bit silly, but she liked where this was going. "How do you do, Anzu? I'm Miho."

Anzu smiled bashfully. "Pleasure to meet you madam."

Miho met Anzu with an equally shy grin. "The pleasure's all mine, miss."

* * *

Honda drove his 2009 black BMW 328i down the quiet streets of Grand Domino, with Otogi in the passenger seat and Joey and Mokuba in the back. He had one hand on the steering wheel and the other made a comfortable nesting for his balled fist to rest on. He couldn't exactly focus on the road in front of him, because of who was sitting beside him. Though he did think of Joey's drunken fiasco as a funny distraction, not to mention actually meeting Seto Kaiba's little brother of all people, in his subconscious mind still lay the incident of earlier that night.

He was actually surprised that Otogi wasn't acting funny or weird towards him since it happened. It could be because he didn't know what was even going on until he saw Honda walking away from him, refusing to discuss the matter any further. Honda didn't know. And he certainly wasn't going to talk about what he was thinking in front of Joey and especially a teenager who barely knew what sex was about. Honda couldn't deal with the aftermath.

The car was uncomfortably quiet. Joey was slouched down with his head leaning against the window. Thank goodness the door was locked, or else he would've fell right out had the door gave in to his weight. Mokuba was more or less trying to sober Joey up by occasionally poking him in the ribs or asking him what day it was. Joey was still too much under the influence to answer the boy correctly. When he got annoyed enough, he just pushed Mokuba's hand away from poking him, being too frustrated and tired to answer any questions.

Honda couldn't do anything but laugh. For some reason Joey and Mokuba almost acted like they were brothers, or at least those annoying cousins who got on each other's nerves. He'd only wish that he and Otogi had that type of relationship. But since he was Otogi's boss, there were some lines you just didn't cross. Friendship and romance were a few of them.

Unfortunately, they were going to be alone in the car once he dropped Joey and Mokuba off, and Honda knew that Otogi would bring up the situation again. He'd just have to grin and bear whatever his employee had to say. Damn it, why did simple things have to be so complicated at times? Otogi was probably as straight as hell, and those damn beautiful gorgeous jade colored eyes could snag any girl he wanted. Not to mention, his silky jet-black hair and his assortment of dice jewelry that Otogi liked to hang from his ear – Honda never really understood that but hey, whatever floats Otogi's boat was fine with him. Everyone had their quirks.

Honda stole a quick glance at Otogi, since he hadn't said a word since they got in the car. He seemed to have a lot on his mind. He had his dice earring in between his fingers, twiddling it around, just absent-mindedly playing with it. Honda secretly found it appealing. But at the same time, he couldn't help but think that Otogi was reminiscing the awkward plight that occurred between them earlier at the club. That assumption put Honda on edge, because who knew was Otogi was thinking. Was he disgusted? Pleased? Caught off guard? What did Otogi feel about it? All of these questions and millions more plagued Honda's mind like a disease and it made him overthink everything.

"….I said do you know where I live?"

Mokuba's voice broke Honda out of his sequence of thoughts and he shook his head to bring himself back to reality.

"Huh, what?"

"Big ass mansion just outside of Neo Domino. It's hard to miss," Mokuba said. He glanced at Joey again who was now sitting upright, seemingly becoming more sober again, but he still looked a horrid mess. Not to mention the bruises on his face and jaw were turning into an ugly tinge of black and his clothes were damn near completely torn off his body. It made Mokuba wonder what had happened to Joey that night. He couldn't help but feel sympathy for the man. Ever since they met, Joey's been a cool person to be around; a little rough around the edges, but hey, nobody's perfect. On top of that, he had a cute sister that Mokuba was interested in getting to know. But that was a mountain that he had to climb at another time.

The thought of taking Joey home with him _did_ cross Mokuba's mind, but then that would mean having to deal with a very pissed off older brother if the two got caught together. Kaiba didn't like unexpected guests in his house, whether he was fond of them or not, and he was most likely not fond of anyone except Mokuba. But still…Joey had saved him from getting caught by those goons at the club and even worse, arrested. Mokuba had to make it up to Joey somehow, someway.

To Mokuba's alarm, his phone rang and he jumped nearly a mile out of his seat. He hated how the stupid smartphone always scared the shit out of him when it went off. He already knew who was calling him at this hour – it was 4:45 in the morning and only his brother would be up so late. Fuck, if only Mokuba didn't decide to act like a badass adult and sneak out that night. Maybe if his brother was in a better mood, but then again, Seto _never_ was. So it probably wouldn't have made a difference.

Just as he thought, Seto was on the other line. Mokuba hesitantly pressed the 'answer' key and swallowed hard. "S-S-Seto?"

"You're already grounded until you're eighteen, do you wanna make it twenty one? It's five in the morning, why aren't you in bed kid?"

Mokuba held the phone away from his ear because Kaiba was yelling so loud into the receiver, and it got Joey's attention. He looked down at Mokuba who had a look of discomfort and exasperation of his face.

Before he could react, Mokuba felt the phone being snatched from his hand.

"The fuck is your problem money bags? The kid is only sixteen, quit riding his nuts so hard."

Mokuba cringed. He knew he was in even more trouble now. Joey meant well, but this wasn't helping him get in less turmoil than he already was in.

"Yeah, yeah yeah, well – he's with me, keep your muscle shirt on – you know damn well who I am – hahahah I dare you to say that shit to my face, you little bitch – "

Joey scoffed and looked down at the phone as the screen turned black. He then handed it back to Mokuba. "He hung up."

"Joey – " Mokuba started to say but Joey cupped a hand over his mouth. He tasted alcohol on Joey's hand and it was awful. He pushed Joey's hand away, not being able to stomach the taste or the smell. "We need to sober you up."

"Nehhh, I just need some sleep," Joey replied, resting his head on his hands and reclining back. "And don't worry about your bonehead brother, he's just worried about you. I know where he's coming from."

Knowing that Joey was at least still partially drunk, that sentence seemed pretty intellectual in Mokuba's eyes.

"I'm sure your sister is a lot more innocent than me," Mokuba snickered.

Joey arched an eyebrow and opened an eye towards Mokuba. "And what's that supposed to mean, kid?"

"W-w-w-well – " Mokuba stuttered. "Th-that didn't exactly come out right."

Joey couldn't help but laugh. He knew Mokuba was after his sister, but didn't mean any harm, at least from where Joey was sitting. He still wasn't sober enough to fully analyze the whole situation, but he at least knew that there was puppy love in the air. Joey found it cute – in the least girly way possible.

"Don't worry about it," Joey muttered, mangling Mokuba's own shaggy black hair. "I'll consider letting you talk to my sister."

Mokuba's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, sounding way too excited.

"But – " Joey said, lifting a finger of warning and interrupting his small celebration. "Don't get any ideas. I'm still the number one man in her life. No one takes my place, got it?"

"Aye, aye, captain," Mokuba answered, half joking, but totally getting the message. Seto has never really taught him much about girls, but he did know at least, how to treat one. Mokuba wasn't dumb. It all came down to common sense anyway. Treat people how you want to be treated. Everyone knew about that golden rule.

Honda pulled up beside a long white metal picket fence. The first thing he noticed was two men wearing black suits standing at the entrance gate and he grimaced. This had to be the Kaiba mansion. The house beyond the fence was loaded.

"See, that didn't take long," Mokuba said, grinning at Honda through the rearview mirror. He glanced at Joey, who was too distracted by the mansion to even notice that the car stopped. "Joey?"

"Huh?" he whipped his head around and faced Mokuba. "What's up, kid?"

"Umm…" Mokuba treaded hesitantly. "Ready to go?"

"G-go where?" Joey asked confused as hell.

"Inside."

Joey arched an eyebrow. "Well I would but – "

"Great!" Mokuba grabbed his arm and dragged him outside before Joey could even counter with a negation. Joey's legs felt like rubber and he plopped to the ground when Mokuba let him go.

He laughed nervously as he looked at Honda in the driver's seat. "Uhh, I'll take care of him."

"His sister is at home waiting for him," Honda drawled, almost impatiently because he was tired, and he was sure that Otogi was too. Good thing it was Saturday and they had the weekend to recover.

"Oh, this won't take long," Mokuba reputed. "Stay…right…here." He grunted as he tried to pull Joey up to his feet and drag him into the mansion.

He approached the two guards at the gate and waved them down. "It's alright, he's with me."

The guards didn't reply, just simply shrugged and punched in a code and opened the gate for Mokuba and Joey to step through.

Mokuba had thrown Joey's arm around him, and it was pretty damn hard to keep his own balance while trying to prevent Joey from falling over and toppling him while he had to walk towards the mansion at the same time. He could recall distinct memories of having to carry his drunken brother to his room, but not from the outside. Mokuba and Seto usually threw business parties at the Kaiba Hotel or some other upscale hotel that they rented out. Seto refused to ever have a bunch of 'morons tear down what he built up just for the sake of having a good time' in his words.

When they got to the door, Mokuba fumbled to find his key in his pocket, but again with all that extra weight bearing down on him, it was twice as hard to look for it. He temporarily released Joey from his hold and regretted it immediately, because Joey fell to his knees, as if he all of a sudden didn't know how to use his own damn legs. Sure he was drunk, but this was ridiculous.

On top of that, Mokuba's ankle was swollen and sore from when he essentially jumped from that two-story balcony. He had prayed that it wasn't sprained because Kaiba would have a field day and probably never let Mokuba have a social life until he was thirty. Mokuba would try his best to hide his injury from his brother.

He had one arm under Joey trying to keep him from lying flat on his face on the concrete ground and another digging in his pockets. It was quite the unenviable task to say the least.

Otogi stared at them from the car and couldn't help but laugh. "You think we ought to help?"

Honda snorted. "You kidding me? After what they put us through tonight? We're lucky the guys at the club didn't catch us and ban us from that place. I say we just sit here and watch. I could use the entertainment."

"Aww but come on, he's your best friend. You could at least help him get in the house," Otogi argued with a mock hurt expression.

"Oh, hell no. This is Seto Kaiba's mansion, he'll probably shoot me the minute he sees me on his property. I'm just afraid he'll do the same to Joey."

Otogi was tickled by Honda's seriousness. "I doubt he'd want the jail time."

"Or the negative publicity," Honda added.

"Or the plummeting stocks," Otogi concluded.

"Or the – "

"I'm not carrying your heavy ass around, get up!"

Both Honda and Otogi's turned their heads in unison when they heard Mokuba's voice pierce through and interrupt their conversation. They couldn't see him though, but they did see Joey actually crawling his way into the mansion. Mokuba must've already been inside and was baiting Joey in. Who knew what would go on behind those doors.

Honda raised a palm to his forehead and groaned. "Let's hope they don't take forever."

"Hmmm." Otogi tapped his fingernails on the base of the window. "Well just in case they do…" he turned himself sideways so that he was facing Honda. "We have something to discuss."

Fuck. Honda was afraid this was going to come up sooner or later. He played it cool though. "We do?"

Otogi narrowed those crystal pools of emerald jade and locked them onto Honda. He knew his boss wasn't stupid. If ever there was an issue at work with a customer or coworker, Honda was the first to jump in and crack it. After all, he had a reputation to uphold. His ability to solve problems quickly and affectively, as well as never beating around the bush and taking the initiative to expand his clientele is what made him the talk of the town, not to mention his assertiveness and influential, headstrong mentality. It was what attracted Otogi to Honda in the first place.

But here he was, cowering in his seat playing dumb over a little incident that was soon going to be forgotten come Monday morning. Otogi just wanted to clear the air about it.

"Yes. We do. What was up with you acting weird in the bathroom, boss? Did I do something wrong?"

Honda made sure to intentionally avoid contact with those gorgeous jade eyes. He shifted in his seat and rested his chin on the back of his hand, elbow rested on the leather door handle. "Of course you didn't," he drawled softly. "What made you think that you did?"

Otogi sighed, wishing so much that Honda would just look at him. "Because you were all freaked out when all I was trying to do was use a stinkin bleach pen to clean the stain off you. It was like you didn't like me helping you or something."

Honda flinched and slouched his shoulders. That almost actually hurt. Otogi got the wrong idea, but it was so hard to come out and admit what he was truly thinking. But Otogi was being honest with him so why not be honest back?

"Boss?"

"Firstly, we're not at work, so you don't have to call me boss," Honda chortled patting Otogi's hand. Otogi jumped a little from the sudden contact, but Honda didn't notice. His hands felt unbelievably soft despite all of the dirty work they did in the kitchen. Maybe Honda had some secret hand lotion that he used at the end of his shift. Otogi laughed internally at the thought.

"Secondly, I was just caught at a bad time, that's all. Has nothing to do with you."

And Honda left it at that.

"I wish you would've told me," Otogi replied, running a hand through his hair. "Then maybe I wouldn't have felt so guilty and thought that I did something to offend you."

"Nah," Honda said, rubbing his hands on his pants from being clammy and sweaty from nervousness. He then turned on the air conditioning full blast to calm himself. "I just had a rough day."

He hated lying to Otogi, but Honda decided it was for the best, at least for now. It would've been way too risky to make a move on him, and then have to face him every day at work after that. Honda wasn't sure if he was willing to experience that kind of rejection, if possible.

"We all have those," Otogi said rather dryly, as if he didn't believe a word Honda said. But he wasn't the type of person to try to probe information endlessly. So he just decided to drop the issue for now. It wasn't worth losing his hair over anyway.

"So are we cool?" Honda asked extending his hand in a gesture of friendship towards Otogi. He really didn't want a silly misunderstanding to come in the way of their otherwise strong relationship inside the restaurant. Otogi was his head chef and if there was tension between them, it would probably affect the whole restaurant.

"Of course," Otogi took Honda's hand and squeezed, enough to make Honda's face flush with a tomato red.

Otogi was taken aback at Honda's reaction. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that Honda liked him more than just an employee. But maybe he was jumping to conclusions and he didn't want that. Still, that didn't mean that he couldn't find Honda's reactions amusing, though deep down he didn't know how he felt about it.

Twenty minutes passed and Joey still hadn't emerged from the Kaiba mansion. Honda and Otogi were beginning to grow restless.

"I don't see why we have to wait here. I'm sure Kaiba has enough rooms to lend Joey just one. I say we haul ass outta here," Otogi suggested.

"My thoughts exactly."

And with that, Honda put the car in drive and sped off. Joey would have to deal with Seto Kaiba on his own.

* * *

The mansion was way too dark for Mokuba's liking. His ankle began to hurt more and more by the minute and Joey certainly wasn't helping by any means. He did sober up somewhat, but the jerk still didn't know how to operate his legs properly, as if he had two left feet. Plus he wasn't exactly the quietest drunk Mokuba ever met. He never learned how to be graceful when he walked.

The three-story mansion was none like Joey had ever seen. There was way too much space, not to mention long and dark hallways that he wasn't too fond of, unless a light switch was available of course. He didn't have time to admire the furnishings and decorations of the foyer because Mokuba was trying to drag him – somewhere, Joey wasn't sure. He was still leaning on Mokuba trying to figure out where the floor was.

"Can you at least _try_ to give me some leverage here?" Mokuba pouted, as he now had Joey resting all of his weight on his back, and Mokuba was reduced to sitting on his hands and knees. It's not that Joey was fat – he was far from it. He was more on the thinner side, and yet, firmly trimmed and painted with lean muscles that were only visible when he wore something snug and fitting enough. That night, his clothing was torn and loose so of course his true form was exposed. Not that Mokuba would notice something like that.

He was completely on all fours now because Joey thought it would be a good idea to use Mokuba as a pillow. He lay on the boy's back and rested himself there much to Mokuba's discomfort.

Mokuba sighed. He was out of breath and his back began to hurt. Even the nights of dragging his drunken brother to his room didn't require this much effort and Kaiba was a little taller, not to mention heavier and more muscular than Joey.

Speaking of which, Mokuba had to hurry and get Joey to his room before Kaiba realized that he was home. He could've been anywhere in the mansion.

"Ahhh…Joey get up, you're crushing me," he hissed, putting one final effort to push Joey off his back, reaching within his core and sitting upright on his knees, making Joey fall backwards on the floor. He heard a small thud and a forceful breath of air escape Joey's lips, but other than that, he fell silent. It didn't take Mokuba long to figure out why. The idiot had fallen asleep.

He face palmed. The task just got ten times more difficult. If Joey was asleep that meant that he either blacked out completely, or he was just snoozing regularly. Either way, Mokuba was extremely annoyed. His ankle throbbed under him and he winced, deciding to sit down to refrain from putting more weight on it.

How was he going to drag Joey to his room now? It was on the third floor, along with Kaiba's room, so not only did he have to drag the man up there, he'd have to do it as quietly as possible. He was sure Kaiba wasn't asleep yet. The man hardly ever slept to begin with.

But it was quiet. Too quiet. Mokuba was sure his brother was sitting in the study room or his office with his phone attached to him. Mokuba was surprised that he didn't call back after Joey chewed him out. He didn't know if that was a good thing or bad thing.

It was too much to ponder right now. He picked up Joey from under his arms and attempted to drag him across the white tile floor and to the ascending spiral staircase as silently and quickly as he could. But it seemed as if he wasn't getting anywhere because he couldn't stand on his injured ankle without feeling an ocean wave of pain, so he had to settle on his knees. The floor made it damn near impossible to do that.

Mokuba's phone rang again and sent an almost ear splitting sound through the sheet of quietness that had engulfed the whole mansion up until that moment. He was so spent that he rested against the corner of the wall in the kitchen with Joey in his lap.

The ringtone scared him as usual, but he couldn't remember which pocket he put his phone in. Mokuba, in a panicked state of mind, fumbled and searched in his clothing for it. The noise aggravated Joey and he began to stir.

"Dammit," Mokuba hissed under his breath. Where the hell was that phone? The piece of shit seemed to be intentionally hiding from him now.

He didn't notice the pair of legs approaching them – not that Mokuba or Joey could since it was so dark. But once Mokuba heard the click of a light switch and the sudden brightening of the room, he was sure put to attention after that.

Kaiba stood with his arms crossed with the most distasteful frown on his face staring down at his little brother and of all people – Joey Wheeler.

It was the scariest sight ever. Mokuba couldn't recall ever seeing his brother look so intimidating and - and angry before. He knew he was in for a serious tongue lashing if nothing else.

And it didn't help matters at all that he had Joey Wheeler resting in between his legs on his lap. The two didn't seem to like each other for whatever reason.

Kaiba walked towards them and Mokuba squeezed Joey under his grip, as if that was going to help any. To make matters worse, Joey found refuge on Mokuba's shoulder and saw fit to rest his head backwards on him.

Kaiba stopped when he was about one footstep away, glaring and scowling down at what was below him, more at Joey than his brother because he couldn't fathom what the hell he was doing at his house. Mokuba had some serious explaining to do.

Mokuba swallowed hard but his throat seemed to be as dry as the Sahara when he tried to speak. "H-h-h…" he swallowed again. Figures his voice would go missing right when he opened his mouth. "H-h-h-hey br-br-bro," he said with the tiniest breath. It didn't help that Joey was completely sprawled on him either.

"Mokuba, what did I tell you about bringing garbage into this house?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Excuse me? – "

Kaiba snorted and narrowed his eyes towards Joey. "So this is what you do on your free time? Sneak out and find random drunken, unintelligent, low class hood rats with no self-awareness and bring them to our house? Is that it? Is that how you get your jollies little brother?"

Mokuba huffed, completely insulted. "No, that's not it! – "

"Then what is it then? Where did you find him? Because I'm pretty sure it wasn't at a country club."

"Uhmm…" Mokuba was stuck now. He wasn't going to be able to explain how he met up with Joey without mentioning the club. The very club that he wasn't even supposed to be at.

"Just so you know, I've already talked to Atem, Mana and Mahad. They confessed to letting you go with them to that club. I'm guessing that's where you found this good for nothing puppy."

Mokuba winced and hid his head behind Joey's. The cat was out of the bag now.

"Who're you calling a puppy, bitch-a-saurus rex!" Joey yelled unexpectedly.

Mokuba gasped, he didn't know Joey was awake to hear what Kaiba just said.

Kaiba face palmed. He wasn't in the mood for this bullshit and it was way too late to pick a fight with the village idiot. He'd deal with Mokuba in the morning.

"Just get the fuck out," he growled to Joey, feeling a headache coming on.

"No, wait Seto," Mokuba protested, trying to stand on his feet, but faltered under the pain in his ankle.

Kaiba's eyes widened when he noticed his brother limping. He then, without thinking or asking for an explanation, picked up Joey by the collar and shoved him against the wall.

"What the fuck did you do to my brother you piece of shit?" He kept pushing Joey against the hard concrete barrage behind him, sending shockwaves of pain up and down his spine.

"Seto, stop!" Mokuba screamed and tried to get in between them, but Kaiba inadvertently pushed his brother down on the floor.

"I knew you were a pathetic low life, but to put your hands on _my_ little brother? You crossed the line you sniveling bastard," Kaiba seethed, wrapping a hand around Joey's neck. Joey squirmed and cursed at Kaiba to let him go, but it fell on deaf ears.

"For fucks sake Seto, he didn't hurt me!" Mokuba cried, feeling his throat get tight and his eyes misty. He knew Kaiba had a scary temper but he wasn't going to stand by and watch his brother take his anger and frustration out on an innocent person.

"Fucking…asshole, let me go!" Joey shoved Kaiba as hard as he could, making him fall backwards. During this moment of separation, Joey squinted his eyes and looked for the door that he entered in with Mokuba, but he was still so dizzy, it was hard to find. He ended up right back in the kitchen where Kaiba first found them.

Kaiba made a beeline towards Joey, ready to tackle him to the floor and call security to kick him out, but before he could reach him, Mokuba cut him off at the pass and stood in his way, holding his arms out and standing on his stronger leg.

"Seto, please stop!" the boy pleaded with tears running down his face. He hated seeing his brother in this mood, it was almost as if he didn't care who he hurt as long as he got his point across.

He had his hands on Kaiba's chest to stop him from progressing forward. All he could see was the anger and fury in his brother's eyes. Why wasn't he listening?

"Seto, look at me please," Mokuba begged, his brother snorting and having eyes locked with Joey's. He was cowering in the corner, not necessarily afraid, but surprised. Yeah, that was the correct word for it.

"He didn't hurt me, okay? I fell and landed on my ankle. And then Joey – "

"I don't wanna hear it, Mokuba. If it wasn't for this punk, you wouldn't have been hurt to begin with."

"Are you even listening to me?" Mokuba screeched, making his brother flinch at his high-pitched voice. "Joey had nothing to do with me being hurt. I….I jumped from the second floor of that club and landed on my ankle. I was being chased because someone had discovered that I was under aged. So I ran…and I found Joey and his two friends and if it weren't for them, I would've been caught. I'm so sorry for sneaking out, Seto. It's all my fault. But don't blame Joey, please?"

There was complete silence after that. The only thing that filled the air were Seto's deep breaths and Mokuba's faint cries and whimpers. Joey stood still in the corner, hands balled into fists and bangs covering most of his face, damp and matted from sweat. He would stay in that position until Kaiba lunged for him again or if anyone else tried to sneak up from behind and attack him.

How'd he ever get in this mess? It was like no matter what Joey did, he couldn't get away from Seto Kaiba. If he was sober Joey would've never agreed to even step foot outside the gates of the mansion. If it were up to him, he'd stay far away from Kaiba as he possibly could, but now there he was standing face to face with the person he'd quickly learned to loathe and detest the most in this world.

Joey wanted nothing more than to leave, and get back to Anzu's house to check up on Serenity. He didn't count on their dad knowing where they were, but he still felt better being around her.

"Seto," Mokuba said again, now with his arms wrapped around his brother's waist, looking up at him. For some reason Kaiba refused to look down, perhaps not wanting to see his brother crying because of him.

After a few more moments, Kaiba sighed and crossed his arms. He glanced down at his baby brother whose eyes were still wet from tears, and it made him grimace a bit inside. He couldn't show how he felt in front of Joey though. Emotions were a sign of weakness.

"I better not see you when I wake up," Kaiba said directing his ominous words at Joey.

Mokuba's eyes widened. "So does that mean he can stay?"

Kaiba didn't reply. He released Mokuba's grip on him and turned the opposite direction and walked away, disappearing in the darkness.

Neither Joey or Mokuba knew what that meant. But whatever it was, Joey knew he couldn't stay. The Kaiba mansion was too creepy for his enjoyment and he had a sister that needed him. Maybe when he was in a better mood and the situation was a bit brighter and not so tense could Joey come back to hang out with Mokuba. But now, he was way too tired and drunk to do so.

"You know what," Joey said, reaching into his pocket. "I think I'm just gonna go home with Honda and Otogi. They _are_ still waiting for me outside. I think I've seen enough of your brother for one day."

Mokuba wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. "He's really not that bad," he said. "He was just upset that I walked in the house at almost six in the morning. Any sibling would be upset right?"

Joey immediately thought of Serenity after that. "Yeah, you're right. Which is why I need to get home and check up on mine."

Mokuba couldn't argue with that. He knew first hand what a sibling bond was like. He couldn't deny Joey the right to his.

Joey followed him to the front door, after collecting his shoes and himself essentially and was taken back to discover that Honda's car was no longer outside the gate waiting for him.

"Son of a bitch," Joey mumbled under his breath. "I have no choice but to call a cab now."

"Nonsense! Just sleep in our guest room," Mokuba insisted cheerfully. "Our sheets and blankets are super soft and comfortable and I'll even have our chefs cook breakfast for you."

"But what about Kaiba? I'd much rather not butt heads with him anymore. He's such a piss off."

Mokuba laughed. "Don't tell me you're scared of my brother?"

Joey twisted his face up in a scowl. "Hell no! I'm not afraid of him or anybody else. I just don't have the energy to fight with someone every single day. It's draining."

"You won't have to," Mokuba replied taking Joey's arm and leading him upstairs to the second floor guest room. "He won't even notice that you're here."

Joey didn't know how he felt about that. Sure, Kaiba was a headache to be around, but he could at least have the decency in him to acknowledge someone that was in his presence. But Joey wouldn't count on it.

The guest room was bigger than Joey imagined. Anzu's whole apartment could fit in here. There was a canopy bed towards the back wall, a walk in closet that could hold a car if it wanted to, a mini fridge, HDTV, cherry wood dresser drawers and tables and even a MacBook Pro laptop. Oh yeah, Joey was definitely going to enjoy himself.

* * *

Atem burst into the door of his tenth story condo with Yugi in his arms, breathlessly and desperate clinging to each other while Atem littered Yugi with countless kisses to his neck and chest. Yugi fumbled for the door handle trying to close it when they got inside, but his actions were to a fault thanks to Atem lifting him up and wrapping his legs around him.

He then pushed Yugi against the door and closed it, making Yugi utter a surprised moan, but was instantly cut off by Atem's invading lips to his neck and throat again. Yugi was trying to collect his thoughts and sort out everything that he was feeling, but all he could muster up in his mind was pure, raw sexual tension between Atem and himself. He felt his legs go weak from Atem's aggressive kissing and sucking on his upper body, faltering under his spell and not being able to resist the onslaught of constant lip to skin contact, not to mention the relentless groping of his back and ass. Atem was a horny mess to say the least.

The room was beginning to be too hot for clothing. They both noticed this, but Atem was the first one to make a move. He tugged at Yugi's cardigan and easily removed it, tossing it on the floor while not being able to unglue his lips from Yugi's creamy soft skin. He tasted so good and his body was more addicting than any mere alcohol or drug could ever be.

They were kissing so much that it was hard to breathe and just for a second, Yugi separated their lips reluctantly, but if they had continued, he would've fainted for sure. He cupped Atem's cheeks in his hands and saw nothing but half lidded, dilated crimson eyes that were hungry for him. He wanted nothing more at that moment to be with Yugi and nothing or no one was going to stop him from claiming what was his. He stared Yugi straight in the eye with sex obviously on his mind.

Both Atem and Yugi were panting like crazy in each other's faces, not caring for the smell of alcohol that invaded their nostrils or the sweat that dripped down their necks; for that very moment they knew what the other was thinking. On a scale of one to ten, their desire for each other would break the scale all the way up to one hundred, and at least for that night, Yugi didn't care about his morals or what he stood for. He was going to make Atem his and only his.

It wasn't before long that Atem claimed his mark on Yugi's lips again and he wrapped his arms around him, bringing their aroused bodies close together in a familiar fashion. They were in the middle of the floor when Yugi noticed that no more clothing was being removed. He had to make a change to that.

He pushed Atem against a sidewall, almost knocking over a tall decorative palm tree, probably fake but Yugi didn't count on destroying any of Atem's property. But judging from the way they carelessly tossed each other into things, Yugi wasn't sure.

Atem was on the wall in front of him and Yugi pushed his body against his, hearing an immediate groan from the contact. It was time for Atem to get a taste of his own medicine. Yugi invaded his neck with soft and achingly delicious kisses, making Atem throw his head back against the wall so that Yugi could have more access. Yugi then grabbed Atem's leather shirt from the bottom and lifted it over his head, losing contact with Atem's neck, but only until the shirt was off did Yugi return to sucking and nipping at the crook.

Atem felt a cold draft invade him and he grabbed Yugi's waist and pulled him towards himself again. But Yugi wanted to catch a glimpse at the man's tanned and distinctly trimmed muscles. He was so sexy. Yugi was taken aback, but even more so when he glanced down and saw a bulge in Atem's pants. It seemed to grow bigger the more Yugi stared at it and Atem, usually confident in every aspect in life, faltered under Yugi's wide-eyed looks. He'd never felt that uneasy in front of anyone.

It was only a second that their bodies were apart from each other before Atem grabbed Yugi's arm and tried to pull him towards him again, but Yugi didn't budge. Instead he got on his knees and unzipped Atem's leather pants.

Atem took in a sharp breath as he felt his pants at his ankles, underwear exposed and erection as hard as ever. If he didn't get inside of Yugi that very second, he was sure he was going to explode everywhere. Yugi was inadvertently teasing him, but Atem wasn't sure how long he could stand this.

Yugi stood back up and met Atem's lust filled crimson eyes once again before decreasing the distance between their faces and lip locking. Atem kicked his pants from around his ankles across the room and took Yugi's hips and slammed them hard into his. Yugi cried out from the intense shockwave of pleasure that invaded his groin.

"You like that?" Atem said teasingly.

Yugi couldn't even answer him. His words became broken and stuttered, his thoughts erratic and bleary and a warm heat rushed to his face. His mouth was open and panting like a dog, he couldn't take it anymore. His knees were shaking below him and he felt pathetic and weak. Atem had reduced him into a feeble mess.

He did however gather enough strength to bring his lips to Atem's ear. The body on body contact made Yugi's erection even harder and he almost couldn't get his words out correctly without faltering.

"Take me," he said in Atem's ear, winded. "Take me now."

Yugi didn't have to tell Atem twice. He picked his younger replica up bridal style, down the hallway, passing by the intricate portraits of himself and Mahad, as well as the rest of his family, into his bedroom that probably could've held more than just Atem judging from how large it was. The wooden floor below them softly creaked under Atem's footsteps and when he got to the bed, he gently plopped down on top of Yugi and immediately began taking his long sleeved shirt off, seeing as he was nowhere nearly as naked as he was. Atem didn't like that. He wanted to see Yugi's true form.

While he was doing this, Yugi kissed Atem's cheeks and temples, making it hard for Atem to focus on the task at hand. Yugi couldn't help but keep his lips on Atem's skin as if he were a magnet.

He did see Atem having trouble unbuttoning his shirt and it took more time than he liked. Yugi then grabbed the center of the shirt and ripped it apart, sending buttons flying across the room.

Atem couldn't help but chuckle at Yugi's impatience. Perhaps he was just as eager to make love as he was.

Yugi sat at the foot of the bed while Atem was on his knees now unbuckling Yugi's pants. Though it did make Yugi excited to no end, he couldn't but feel a bit unnerved. This was his very first sexual experience and he didn't know how Atem would react to this fact. Surely Atem knew what to do in the bedroom, but Yugi didn't. He never had the privilege of satisfying anyone before, much less himself. If he was lucky, Atem would take the lead and dominate Yugi through the whole thing. Yugi wouldn't have minded. As a matter of fact, it was what he was hoping would happen.

When Yugi's pants were now at his ankles, Atem could see the bulge in between his legs.

Delicious.

He licked his lips and became even hungrier when he saw that Yugi was almost completely nude in front of him now. All that were left to remove was the underwear.

Atem did notice Yugi's change of demeanor once he took the pants off. He seemed a bit uneasier than he was before. When they were clothed, everything was good, but once it was time to get naked, that's when the real feelings showed.

When he teased the hem of Yugi's underwear the little one whimpered at the touch. He took a glance and saw that Yugi had his head turned away, with his arm covering his eyes, his face a crimson tomato, and tried to force his legs closed, being so shy and afraid to truly expose his body to Atem.

"Little one…are you still a virgin?"

When Yugi didn't answer him, Atem was blown away at the indirect revelation. No wonder he was acting so peculiarly. He was planning on going easy on Yugi anyway, at least until the very end, but now Atem was obligated to. He had no choice.

To easy Yugi's mind, Atem lodged numerous kisses on Yugi's neck and throat to relax him. Yugi was caught off guard by the sudden contact, but he didn't resist it. He loved feeling Atem nipping and sucking at his weak spot. He tilted his head back, indicating to Atem that he wanted more. And Atem had no problem giving his lover just that.

He then felt Atem kissing his chest, stopping at the nipples and sucking them inward. Yugi made a shaky gasp and entrapped Atem's hair in his fingers at the new sensation. It only took Yugi a moment to adjust to this weird yet comfortable feeling.

As Atem descended on downward to Yugi's stomach, Yugi instinctively opened his legs again, looking down and seeing Atem kissing his tummy and with one hand he gripped at his clothed member slightly, making Yugi utter an inaudible noise as he became harder and harder under Atem's massaging clutch. He felt himself get wet, not knowing what was going on until Atem removed his underwear and saw that Yugi was already leaking precum. Atem couldn't help but smile at what he had just accomplished.

By this time, Yugi was a hot sweltering, panting, heaving mess. He struggled to collect himself as Atem was taking his fully erect member in his grasp, bending down so that he was at eye level with it, and carefully licked the tip of it with his tongue.

He felt nothing but heat and wetness from Atem's mouth and he tried to hold in his moans, but Atem took more of him into his cavern, sucking and stroking and Yugi lost it after that. He threw his head back and tugged harder at Atem's hair as the sucking sensation made him lose all of his marbles and let out a throaty moan, which then in turn coerced Atem to suck even harder, wanting to hear those innocent whimpers escape from Yugi's mouth again. It was a sexy motivation to make Atem please Yugi even more.

He was too weak to sit up because of the inescapable assault, but Yugi scooted himself closer to the edge of the bed, feeling Atem's tongue lick and take in more of himself, being sensitive to each suck and swallow and he wrapped his arms around Atem's neck, not being able to hold back his emotions anymore.

"Ahh! A-Atem," Yugi groaned breathlessly in his ear. Atem's head bobbed up and down on his member, each time bringing a higher and higher level of pleasure to Yugi, not wanting to stop until he felt the little one climax.

Yugi felt his body stiffen and he screamed, gripping Atem's hair as he released his seed in his mouth unexpectedly, but Atem loved how Yugi tasted on his tongue, and gladly lapped his juices.

Yugi felt extremely weak and spent after collapsing on the bed. His body was drained and his legs and arms wouldn't stop shaking. Not to mention, his throat hurt from moaning so much. He didn't think it was normal to feel so feeble and helpless under someone's touch before, but when Atem climbed on top of him and looked him in the eyes with an equally flushed expression, Yugi figured this was okay.

Atem's arms were on either side of Yugi's head and Yugi's vision was a bit blurred as his body tried to recover from the overwhelming orgasm he just endured. Atem pressed those familiar lips onto Yugi's and Yugi returned the gesture, not surprised when he tasted his own semen on Atem's lips and in his mouth. It was rather salty and pungent, but Yugi was sure he would get used to the flavor.

The taste was replaced by Atem's tongue ravaging inside of Yugi's mouth, as he wrapped his arms around the little one and gently lifted him off his back so that he was sitting upwards again. Yugi bundled his arms around Atem's neck, wanting to kiss him harder, deeper, angling his head to the side and nuzzling their noses together, feeling the vibration of Atem's voice moaning into his mouth.

Yugi didn't notice that Atem was standing up again, while they still had their lips against each other, and he didn't know what to do but to cling to him while he had his legs wrapped around Atem's slender body. The sudden invasion of his lower extremities caused Atem to fall backwards and into a wall and his head slightly bumped against it, but it didn't faze him. Yugi was concerned though.

"Oh, no are you okay? I didn't hurt you did I?" Yugi asked with a shivered voice. He was still a bit shaken from his first climax.

Atem simply smiled and stared Yugi down, desire and want evident in both of their eyes. "Didn't feel a thing." And with that he closed his eyes and once again, as he'd been doing the entire night, collided lips with Yugi.

The heat between them was growing ever so passionately and Yugi was lost in a tizzy of Atem's fervent touch. He didn't think there was a spot on his body that Atem didn't make himself familiar with.

That is until Yugi felt Atem's left hand stroke the side of his body and stop at his entrance below. He then felt Atem squeeze his cheeks before inserting a finger inside of him.

Panicked, Yugi broke the kiss, not knowing what to do with this foreign object that was now invading his body. It felt uncomfortably strange and bizarre but he didn't stop Atem from probing and stretching him from the inside, for he was doing it as gently as he could. Yugi rested his head on Atem's shoulders, possibly for comfort as he felt his finger stretch and relax the inside muscles, giving light whimpers and moans as tried to deal with the intrusion. It was a little painful, but nothing that Yugi couldn't handle and before long, he felt a second finger, and then a third which hurt a lot more than he anticipated, but Yugi took in deep breaths and forced his body to relax as Atem cooed comforting words into his ear to distract him from the ache.

"It'll pass little one. Just please be patient," he said softly in Yugi's ear as he continued to stretch and expand his entrance to his liking. Yugi was so tight and hot, it almost drove Atem mad with anticipation. He knew that the end would justify the means. He just needed Yugi to endure this small step towards unimaginable pleasure.

When Atem felt that Yugi was stretched enough, he removed his fingers and took off his own underwear, giving his member a few pumps, making it instantly hard again so he could be ready for Yugi. He took a few deep breaths and distracted Yugi with a kiss before gently pulling the skin apart and lowering Yugi on top of his erection.

Immediately Yugi moaned loudly at the abrupt invasion again, which was far more tangible and noticeable than Atem's fingers and he hissed as he felt himself slide right on top of Atem's dick. Tears rolled down his eyes and he wondered if this whole thing was a good idea or not. Atem paused to allow Yugi to get used to his organ being inside of him, against his tight muscles and small opening. Yugi should've expected this to be honest. It was always painful the first time someone had sex.

Yugi had his arms on either side of Atem, straight out with his hands against the wall while Atem held him by his bottom. He was hissing and squirming, trying his hardest to get used to this feeling. He felt such warmth down there and he could feel Atem growing inside of him and he didn't know how longer Atem could hold out before he started thrusting himself against Yugi. But he didn't want the man to wait forever.

"Are you ready, little one? Don't worry, you'll start to feel so good in a few seconds."

Seconds? That's all the time Yugi had to pull himself together? He met Atem's gaze with uncertainty, and saw a reassuring gleam in his eyes. Yugi figured he knew better than him since he was more experienced, so he trusted his judgment. He took his hands from the walls and onto Atem's shoulders, greeting him with a kiss before he nodded his head that it was okay for Atem to move.

He tightened his grip on Yugi before moving up and down and he loved the tingle that immediately followed with the movement. He heard a faint moan coming from Yugi's lips but he didn't seem all that uncomfortable so Atem moved a tiny bit deeper.

"Mmmh!" Yugi's moans were getting louder and Atem felt Yugi's muscles actually clench down around his member, and also Yugi's arms tighten around his neck. Yugi felt Atem hit a nerve inside his body right then and it made his eyes shoot wide open and he saw nothing but white stars clouding his vision.

"Do it again," he mewled in Atem's ear.

"Do what again, my precious Yugi?"

"Whatever….whatever you just did. It felt so good…please Atem," Yugi felt like a helpless child in this state of mind but he couldn't help it. Atem had made him lose whatever reserve he was holding on to.

Atem repeated the action, pushing Yugi up and down on top of him, only this time he went a little faster. He was relieved at the shrill moan that escaped Yugi's throat after that, followed by whimpers and whining when Atem continued the movement.

Slowly and gradually Atem picked up the pace and the motions got more and more rough with each rhythmic thrust and the panting became more and more evident with each up and downward push on Atem's length. Yugi dug his fingers in Atem's back, needing something to take his frustrations out on, or else he wasn't sure he if could handle such a numbing experience.

Moaning and groaning in Yugi's ear, Atem could feel his own body succumbing to the constant pressure of Yugi's entire body slamming down on top of him. Though he did take initiative and put he and Yugi in this position, he didn't know how much he could take before he would come. Imagine how Yugi felt.

Not sure how much longer he could restrain himself from totally devouring Yugi, Atem briefly stopped his movement and heard a disappointed whine from the young one before moving back to the bed. He kissed Yugi until they both fell on the bed and Atem put himself inside of Yugi and continued striking him with all his might.

Since he had more leeway, Atem spread Yugi's legs out as far as he could and slammed into him consistently, earning loud and high-pitched moans from the one underneath him, which motivated Atem to move even faster inside of his lover. Despite the harder treatment against his body, not to mention the tears that flooded his eyes, along with the endless feelings and sensations that Yugi felt at that very moment, he didn't want Atem to stop. He couldn't stop this even if he wanted. His body was on autopilot and he wasn't going to be put to rest until Atem made his body react the way he wanted.

"A-A-Atem, I c-c-can't t-t-take much m-more!" Yugi managed to scream out, but his feeble pleas only made Atem fuck him harder, pinning him down, as if he was trying to make Yugi a permanent part of the mattress.

Yugi let out a few more disoriented moans as he let Atem dominate his body and seemingly his mind and his soul. He arched his back and he felt Atem go deeper inside him, as if that were even possible, but Yugi could've sworn that he could feel Atem all the way up to his stomach.

His hips buckled up but Atem forced them back down again, not wanting their escapade to end, but Yugi could feel his second orgasm approaching.

"I'm gonna – I'm gonna! – " Yugi couldn't get the sentence out because Atem's constant non-stop thrusts interrupted his thought process and speech. He was a few seconds away from becoming a puddle of his former self.

He grabbed Atem's neck and pulled him down towards him, not wanting to feel this exhilarating feeling by himself. Hearing Atem moan, groan and pants against his neck was music to Yugi's ears. At least he knew that Atem wasn't disappointed with how Yugi's body felt against his.

The bed underneath them held their weight as much as it could, with Atem's pounding Yugi against it and both of their hips simultaneously hitting it at the same time, but the headboard slammed against the wall each time Atem hit Yugi with a dangerous thrust.

It felt so achingly good that Yugi thought he was going to literally pass out from the way Atem was striking his prostate and pleasure center every single time he pushed into him. It hurt, but it was a good kind of hurt. This felt like a dream that Yugi never wanted to wake up from.

"Come Yugi...come for me," Atem managed to say in between panting against Yugi's neck and shoving into him. He was rewarded with a tightening grip around his neck as Yugi was too mentally unstable to speak another word.

With a few more hard thrusts into him, Yugi felt that recognizable stiffening of his body again, and his hips automatically buckled upward as he screamed Atem's name, arching his back against him before releasing himself inside of his older lover.

Yugi's body went completely numb after that, but Atem pounded him a few more times before he felt himself go completely still and he let out a loud satisfied moan before he came inside of Yugi, spilling every ounce of frustration into him, not fully aware that he never pulled out as he originally planned from the beginning, but he didn't care anymore at that point.

After the mind blowing orgasm, Atem collapsed on top of Yugi, completely shell shocked and spent from what he'd just experience. The two took this time of silence to catch their breath and collect whatever frame of mind they could gather so they could at least try talk to each other. Atem was still cradled against Yugi's neck, lying in between Yugi's legs, which were spread like an eagle, but by that time, all modesty had been thrown out of the window.

Yugi still had a hard time breathing. He wondered if Atem had rendered him into an asthma attack, or if the sex was more intense than he realized. But he didn't regret it one bit. The pain and uncertainty that he initially felt coming in was so worth it now.

Atem made the first move and lifted his head from Yugi's shoulders, looking him directly in the eyes. Yugi looked tired, not surprisingly, but satisfied, and almost nurtured, rubbing the back of Atem's neck before bringing him down for a kiss. Atem grew accustomed to Yugi's soft delectable lips as he returned the kiss, but they seemed to have felt even better, more tasteful as he felt Yugi's fingers tangled in his hair.

Atem played outside of Yugi's bottom lip with his tongue before he was granted access inside of his mouth, as the two closed their eyes to enjoy the feeling of one inside the other, as they've been doing for the whole night.

* * *

Please review!


	5. Playing hard to get

"I can't believe the person who was least likely to get laid was the only one who got laid out of all of us!"

"Hey, I got a little piece of action too. Maybe not as much as Yugi did obviously…"

"At least you got something. I ended up at Seto Kaiba's house of all people, thanks to you Honda, ya idiot."

Honda punched Joey in the arm for that comment. "Well if someone wasn't taking their sweet ass time at fucking five in the morning, I wouldn't have taken my tired ass home. Now suck it up."

Yugi, Joey, Honda and Anzu were sitting together during their lunch break at work. Monday morning couldn't have come quicker for the four of them.

After Yugi's rendezvous with Atem, he woke up the next morning to find the bed that they slept in completely empty. Not that Yugi was surprised or anything, they were just hooking up for sex the previous night. There was no promise or guarantee of a relationship afterwards, so Yugi had no other alternative but to dress himself and leave. He almost didn't see the note that Atem had left him on the nightstand which read: _You were amazing Yugi, let's keep in touch._

Atem then left his phone number at the end of the note. Yugi felt weird about the whole thing. He didn't expect to keep in touch with someone that he'd only met a day ago, someone that he'd just wanted for sex. But Atem didn't kick him out or treat him like trash when they were done, so at least there's that.

Yugi couldn't deny how awesome the sex was, though it was his first time, Atem made him scream in octaves that Yugi didn't know he could reach. Everything just felt perfect, like a dream sequence. And the way that Atem cuddled Yugi when they both climaxed – and boy what a climax it was. Yugi felt as though he was rejuvenated, like he was a brand new man. He had no idea that he had all of that frustration pent up inside him for so many years.

When they slept, Atem held Yugi from behind and buried his face against his neck and his now scruffy hair, faintly saying Yugi's name in his sleep while snoozing, as though he was still dreaming of their exploit. Yugi had a hard time getting the episode out of his mind too.

Despite all of that though, Yugi didn't feel right about something. He felt somewhat used and dirty, and also that he knew better than to go home with a complete stranger to have sex with him. Grandpa would turn over in his grave if he knew what Yugi did. He taught Yugi morals, self respect and basically everything that was the opposite of what he did with Atem. Yugi couldn't completely blame the fact that he was drunk, because though his judgment was clouded, he was still aware of the fact that he was engaging in sexual activity and he did nothing to stop it. Nor did he want to stop.

So when it came down to it, having casual sex with Atem wasn't worth it. Yugi gained absolutely nothing from it in the end, except a flimsy love note and a phone number. He didn't even have breakfast.

He didn't make his concerns verbal though. He didn't want his friends – Joey especially to know how low he felt inside. They had their own issues to deal with. Yugi didn't want to add on to it.

Anzu however, noticed Yugi's despondence and laid a hand to his shoulder. "Is everything okay? Did something go wrong that night?"

Yugi shook the cobwebs and gave her a plastic smile. "No, of course not!" he exclaimed. "I'm still just a little hung over."

"Tell me about it," she said, rubbing her temples. "I don't think I'm going to drink like that again for a long time."

"Same here. I can't say the same for Joey though," he mumbled, turning his attention to his animated best friend who was griping to Honda how irritating it was to be around Seto Kaiba and how he would rather get his tongue ran over by a train than deal with him. Mokuba however was a much more admirable guest who showed Joey his collection of video games, movies and duel monsters cards that he'd been gathering over the years. Joey could never figure out why Mokuba was much nicer, kinder and more considerate than his asshole brother, and even asked Mokuba if he was sure he was even related to Kaiba.

He was still hesitant but Joey didn't see anything wrong about letting Mokuba talk to his sister but he didn't let Serenity know right away. He wanted to see how they interacted first. After work that day, Joey would call Mokuba up to Anzu's house for a play date with Serenity.

As long as Kaiba wouldn't be involved. He didn't know how he felt about his little brother dating at only sixteen. Joey would imagine Kaiba not being too thrilled, as if that were any surprise.

"I'm gonna go clock back in," Honda announced, looking at his watch. Five more minutes before lunch was over. Joey had him entertained with his little narrative about Seto Kaiba. Honda could've sworn that he saw a gleam in Joey's eyes every time he mentioned the man's name. Or maybe that was just contempt. Either way, it was funny.

"Yeah me too," said Anzu, yawning as she stood up to stretch. She had to attend rehearsals for tonight's dance number, and her instructor, Mai Kujaku didn't tolerate tardiness. "I'll see you guys after work."

Yugi, Joey and Honda waved as she walked backstage towards the dressing room. Seeing as she was the lead dancer, Anzu had to be punctual.

* * *

The rehearsal room was like a ballet hall surrounded by mirrors so that the dancers can see how they looked when they moved, and also what their mistakes were so they can make any changes before the night's routine. There was little time to rehearse every night, seeing as there was a different show every single night, so Mai had rotated four separate dances for the week and kept it that way before she introduced a new dance for her team to learn every few months so that they wouldn't be overwhelmed.

When Anzu finally showed up, everyone else was already in place ready to start rehearsals. They all gave her distasteful looks when she appeared around the corner.

"About time the diva decided to grace us with her presence," said Vivian Wong, who rolled her eyes as Anzu took the center position. Anzu shot her a cold glare but decided to ignore her. She always tried to start immature spats with Anzu because she was jealous of her status. But Anzu had too much on her mind to quarrel with Vivian so she stayed quiet.

She stretched for the time being until Mai would show, aware of the dirty looks that she was receiving but Anzu honestly didn't care. If those bitches had an issue with her, they could take it up _after_ rehearsals.

"Everyone!" Mai called when she opened the door to her office and walked out to the studio. "I'd like you to meet Miho Nosaka, she's the new addition to the Pussycat Dolls."

Anzu nearly choked on her tongue when she laid eyes on Miho. Mai didn't tell any of the cast members that she'd hired someone new ahead of time so everyone was caught off guard. But none more than Anzu.

Miho looked understandably nervous when she was in the spotlight as Mai introduced her. She didn't notice Anzu right away because she was near the back of the studio on the stretch bar. She was hoping she would because Anzu was the reason that she auditioned in the first place.

"Now where's Anzu? I'm looking for her and I don't see her," Mai said loudly, her voice reverberating in the hollow mirror room. The rest of the dancers moved to either side of the room creating a space in the middle, which then revealed Anzu crouching down on the wooden floor. She wasn't necessarily hiding, although that would be her story if asked, but she was still stretching her muscles. Yeah that's it.

"Get up off the floor girl, quit being silly," Mai scolded as she took Miho's hand and walked in Anzu's direction. When they were close enough, Anzu stood up and was eye to eye with Miho. God, she looked beautiful.

She had her hair up on a ponytail and her lavender bangs covering most of her forehead above her eyes. She was wearing a dance uniform already, and it took everything in Anzu not to glance down at her cleavage. She didn't want Mai and the rest of the class thinking she was some kind of pervert.

"Miho, this is Anzu Mazaki, she's the lead dancer of the Pussycats. I'm going to have her personally train you for the remainder of the week while I tend to the rest of the class. It's that okay with you Anzu?"

Anzu was thrilled but couldn't help but think that her feelings for Miho would get in the way. But still, she liked the challenge.

"Of course it is," she beamed with a sincere grin. "I'll go grab a water bottle and we'll get started."

"I'll follow you," Miho quickly replied. "I'm a little thirsty too."

Anzu couldn't help but squeal internally. She felt like a schoolgirl with a major crush.

Miho followed her to the dressing room. She had to admit that she was nervous about being alone with Miho again because she didn't know how capable she was of keeping her hands off her. The other night she barely could, and Miho's intentions were crystal clear that she wanted Anzu in bed. Anzu wondered if she still felt that way.

When she bent down to the cooler, she felt as though Miho was staring at her so she quickly got up and spun around when she got her water bottle. She stepped to the side and let Miho pick her own drink. The two stood in silence as they took sips of their beverage and Anzu couldn't stop tapping her foot out of nervousness.

"I guess I should've told you that I applied for a job here the other night," Miho confessed.

"No, no it's fine," said Anzu taking another gulp of the cold water that made her shiver as it went down her throat. "I was just surprised, that's all."

"You don't….feel weird about us working together do you? I know Friday night kind of got out of control and I couldn't keep my hands off of you. I'm sorry about that. My hormones got the best of me. But it won't happen again, especially now."

For some reason, that disappointed Anzu. She appreciated Miho trying to stay professional, but that didn't mean they couldn't have their own secret love affair outside of work.

_No, Anzu, grow up. This isn't high school anymore_, she scolded herself. Miho was right. If they were going to be coworkers, a sexual relationship was now out of the question. It would cost them their job if Mai or even Pegasus found out they were sleeping together.

"It's going to take a little getting used to, but I think we can manage," Anzu replied, holding out her hand. "Friends?"

Miho contentedly took Anzu's hand and squeezed lightly with a sweet smile. "Friends."

* * *

Yugi was the last one to leave the table that he was sitting at with his friends. His heart was heavy and his mind was full of unanswered questions. On top of that, he had to work the tables tonight.

He was far from being in the mood to deal cards and tolerate drunken savages trying to steal chips from the table. Yugi couldn't get Atem out of his mind, both the good and the bad, and he felt like he was going to lose it.

Is this what it felt like when you had your first crush? That person is constantly on your mind 24/7 and you're unable to go on about your day without thinking of them? You wonder what they're doing and how they're doing, or who they're with?

_But why? All we did was have sex,_ Yugi thought. Why was he acting like a lost puppy? Sex wasn't supposed to bring on these emotions and he just felt pathetic about it. He was almost certain that Atem had already forgotten about him and moved on to the next. That was the worse part. Yugi was sure that Atem didn't mean anything that he said to him at the club. He'd only said it to get into Yugi's pants.

And Yugi fell for it. Atem even got him drunk so that he'd have an even bigger chance to get in between his legs. Yugi grew angry at the thought. He hated himself for allowing it to happen and for allowing someone to get him into bed so easily. Yugi felt like a slut to be honest. He knew better than that.

Between beating himself up mentally for having sex with Atem so fast, and obsessing over how he felt about him, Yugi didn't notice the man sitting at his workstation by himself. He'd only casually looked up and saw the back of his head before he took in a heavy set of air in his lungs and sprinted towards the bar. Yugi didn't even give himself time to think.

All he had to see was that spiky head and Yugi was out of there. How the hell did Atem know where he worked? Yugi could vaguely remember their conversation the other night, though most of his memory had been sketchy at best. Maybe he did tell Atem his place of employment and he'd simply forgot. Yugi would deal with the matter once he was far away from Atem.

Thankfully, Joey was standing at the bar serving customers. He saw Yugi running full speed towards him and Joey's eyebrows arched as he saw the look of panic in his friend's eyes.

When he watched Yugi run up to the bar and jump over the counter, he didn't know what the hell to think. "Yugi, what's your problem – "

"Joey, if you see that guy with the spiky head that we saw the other night at the club looking for me, _do not_ tell him where I am."

"What? Why would I do that?"

Oh. That's right. Joey didn't know.

"I slept with him."

Joey gasped sharply and bent down to face Yugi who was sitting under the bar counter. "_That's_ who you went home with Friday night? Damn, you earn some brownie points for that!"

"Joey stop," Yugi groaned, face palming. "I'm not exactly proud of myself right now."

"And why not? You got what you wanted didn't you?"

"No – well yes. I mean – "

"Shit, stay down!"

Joey abruptly stood back up as a new customer approached the counter. It was the same guy that he saw along with his friends at the Pyramid the other night. He bore a striking resemblance to Yugi, Joey observed, only he was tanner and much more built around the arms and chest.

He was wearing a green v-neck sweater vest and corduroy pants. His crimson eyes were the most nicest that Joey had ever seen in a while. They were almost as nice as Seto Kaiba…

Oh, fuck that asshole. This situation had nothing to do with him right now.

"What can I get for you sir?" Joey asked kindly.

"I'm actually looking for someone," Atem said warily. "I was told that Yugi Mutou works here at the blackjack table, but I don't see him there. I was wondering if you've seen him around?"

Yugi covered his mouth to prevent himself from gasping out loud. Was Atem seriously stalking him now?

"And who might you be?" Joey demanded with an arched eyebrow. Yugi tugged on his pant leg and gave him a get-him-the-fuck-out-of-here glare and Joey discreetly winked at him to indicate that he understood.

"Oh pardon my rudeness. My name is Atem," the man said, offering his hand to Joey. Not wanting to be curt, Joey returned the gesture and shook his hand.

"I don't wanna sound like an asshole or anything, but what do you want with Yugi? Are you his friend or something?"

"Well that depends," Atem said with a shrug. "If he's willing to talk to me again."

"How did you even know that he works here? Because I'm certain that my boss didn't tell you. He's not allowed to. So how did you find out?"

Atem swallowed, sensing that the conversation was turning tense. But he stood his ground. "Mokuba Kaiba told me that you work here. He only knows that because of his brother. He also told me that Yugi works here too – "

"Pause, hold on, wait a minute. Rewind the tape," Joey interjected. "How do you know the Kaiba brothers?"

"I work for Seto."

Joey's eyes expanded. "You work for _Seto Kaiba_?"

Atem couldn't hold in his chuckle at Joey's reaction. "Yes I do."

Joey gripped a hand around Atem's forearm. "I'm sorry man."

Atem was enthralled that someone other than himself didn't always see eye to eye with Kaiba, but he had to defend his boss anyway. "He's not that bad," he said with a titter.

"He's not that good either," Joey retorted while shaking his head, laughing.

Yugi's legs were beginning to cramp up. He jabbed Joey in his leg again to wrap up this conversation before Pegasus came out here and caught him goofing off. He had to get back to the tables.

"Anyway, if you see Yugi, could you tell him to call me?" Atem asked, not trying to sound too desperate, but he was eager.

"Oh I don't have to," Joey said with a mischievous smirk. "He's right under the table."

"What! Ow! – " Yugi instinctively tried to stand up and bumped his head hard against the ledge. He came from under his hiding spot rubbing his head and he locked eyes with Atem. He gasped and flung back, hitting the alcohol stand behind him that encased all of the drinks that Joey would need for the night, causing the whole thing to wobble, making a full bottle of Hpnotiq fall to the floor with a sick shatter of glass, not to mention the after splash of liquid that followed.

Yugi stood with his back against the wall as he locked eyes with Atem. Damn he was looking sexy tonight. His sleeveless sweater vest showed off his hard biceps, not to mention his neck muscles that were hardly inconspicuous.

"Yugi," he said with a soft smirk. "It's nice to run into you again."

Joey couldn't help but chuckle. Though he did dime Yugi out, it was totally worth seeing the horrified look in his best friend's eyes.

"I gotta go help these other customers," he announced, patting Yugi on the shoulder. "You two love birds have fun."

"I'm going to fucking murder you when this is done," Yugi grumbled under his breath.

Joey then put another hand on his shoulder. "I love you too, buddy." And after he threw his head back and cackled like a maniac, Joey stalked away towards the other customers, leaving Yugi alone with Atem, much to his chagrin.

Atem couldn't help but notice Yugi acting as though he didn't want him to be there. After the night of passion that they had, this confused Atem to no end. He thought Yugi had enjoyed himself.

"Did you read my note?" he asked.

"Yeah I did," Yugi muttered, intentionally avoiding eye contact. He grabbed a broom and swept up the broken shards of glass into a dustpan.

"Well," Atem drawled. "I was just wondering how you were doing after that night. You never called me."

"What does it matter?" Yugi replied. "You should be used to this right?"

"Used to what?"

"Getting people into bed and whatnot. I'm not stupid Atem. I'm sure I'm not the first person you've ever slept with."

Atem sighed. "No. You're not. But you were the most amazing."

Yugi laughed, wondering how Atem could expect him to believe such bullshit. "You're saying this as if it's been rehearsed or something. Like you've said this a million times already. I may look like a child Atem, but I certainly don't have that mentality."

"Are you insinuating that I'm trying to play games with you? Yugi, you both know that we're too old for that. I'm simply just trying to take you out and get to know you – "

"And seduce me into your bed again. Look Atem, that other night was a mistake. I was drunk and stupid and I let you take advantage of me. No lie the sex was amazing, but I'm not that kind of person. You can't just sit here and try to buy me off like I'm some expensive whore."

"Who said you were a whore? I don't think of you that way, Yugi. Why else would I be at your place of employment looking for you? You can't deny that that night was anything short of a fantasy - "

"It was just sex!" Yugi yelled, catching the attention of the customers and also Joey who couldn't stop his damn grinning. Yugi blushed shamefully and took Atem further down the bar so they wouldn't be heard.

"So that's all that was to you?" Atem said glumly, although he didn't really expect anything to come out of this either, but Yugi was such a good lover, better than anyone else he'd ever been with, he couldn't stay away.

"I'm sorry, Atem, but I don't base my relationships on sex. You wouldn't be coming here looking for me if that's wasn't what you wanted."

"You don't know me at all to be passing such judgment Yugi Mutou," Atem grimaced, feeling a headache coming on.

"Oh, I know plenty. You're obviously rich. I saw you stepping out of that limo. I've been to your house for pete's sake. You live in a condo on a freaking hill above Neo Domino. You wear nice clothes, probably own a nice car, you obviously work at a huge corporation, right? What would a person with your prestige want with someone who barely makes twenty thousand a year? We have _nothing_ in common Atem. People like me don't do a damn for you except give you a quick nut, and you're on your merry way. Well you've already got that from me, so just cut the theatrics and move on to your next victim."

Yugi could hardly catch a breath after giving that patriotic speech. He once again avoided eye contact with Atem, who could hardly believe what he was hearing himself, and continued sweeping. Atem had _never_ been rejected before. It was usually him that did the rejecting. It stung harder than any bullet or arrow would have.

Atem couldn't let Yugi know that he'd been hurt by his spurning. He didn't like the idea of people having one up over him. So instead of continuing his protest, he took his rejection like a man and stood up from his barstool.

"Fine then. Your loss," he said smugly as he walked away.

"Hardly," said Yugi under his breath as he watched the man exit the casino, dejected, but saving face in front of everyone.

No way was Atem going to let Yugi have the upper hand. He wasn't going to look like a fool in public. Yugi would live to regret his decision, Atem thought, as he took one last glance behind him and Yugi abruptly looked at the floor again, not wanting Atem to know that he was observing his departure.

When the coast was clear, Yugi looked around to find that he was being uncomfortably started at, not only by the bar patrons, but from people sitting at the tables and slot machines. He grimaced as he proceeded to sweep the floor even harder to channel his frustration and anger.

He felt bad deep down for cutting ties with Atem, but Yugi didn't think he would be emotionally ready to face the man again. He was surprised at his sudden valor when they spoke, but once Atem left, he felt like the feeble, weak, pathetic mess that he was earlier.

Yugi had more respect for himself than to allow someone to use him as a sex toy. Atem may have had his way with other willing participants, but Yugi was going to stop the pattern with himself. Atem seemed sincere, but Yugi worked at Casino Royale long enough to know when someone was full of shit, and Atem definitely was. Why would he choose to pursue Yugi of all people, who couldn't offer him anything of value, at least monetary wise?

There was no way that Atem could actually want a…._relationship_ with Yugi. To be honest, Atem did all the work during sex. Yugi didn't really consider himself all that great in bed, even by his standards – whatever those were.

He wasn't shocked at all when Joey came and approached him. "Everything alright buddy? You seem kinda tense."

"Maybe that's because I am," Yugi replied with a scowl. "I'm going outside for some air."

Against Joey's protests, Yugi made his way to the backroom and through the exit door to an alleyway. He needed time to clear his thoughts and cleanse himself of Atem before he could go back to work again.

* * *

***earlier that day***

Mokuba couldn't believe that his brother had only given him a slap on the wrist for sneaking out the other night. Judging from the way Kaiba was bitching at him via text, Mokuba was sure he'd be sentenced to the dungeon or something. Especially since he brought home with him an unexpected and uninvited guest in Joey Wheeler. Mokuba promised his brother that they would stay out of his way while Joey was there.

The two stayed up for two more hours playing video games and talking, mainly about Serenity. He wouldn't let the issue go until Joey promised to at least introduce them properly. He was still trying to sober up but Joey knew when he was being played. He'd already agreed to let them interact, so why was Mokuba still bugging? The kid must have been determined to get with his baby sister.

But that was three days ago. Mokuba was sitting in school watching the clock and anxiously waiting for the hour hand to hit the twelve so he could leave for the day. That's the one thing he hated about public schools. You could only exit whenever the stupid bell rung and not a minute before. But Mokuba was the one who begged his brother to let him attend a public school so that he could make friends. Even considering his background and upbringing, Mokuba wanted to be a normal kid, if that were even possible.

He couldn't stand sitting anymore. His short attention span didn't allow him to just wait idly for some retarded bell to dismiss the class. Mokuba raised his hand and asked to use the restroom.

"Finally," he muttered as he heard the classroom door behind him close with a thump. He didn't even have to go, he just needed some fresh air. And plus the teacher wasn't talking about a damn thing anyways.

He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his faded denim jeans, and absent-mindedly began to walk aimlessly wherever his legs took him. Mokuba didn't care.

He was tempted to pull out his cell phone and call a driver to come pick him up. But he knew Kaiba would find out some way or another. The guy had eyes in the back of his head. Mokuba could never hide anything from him.

"Ouch!"

Mokuba bumped into another human being and both individuals were jerked backwards, Mokuba on the flagpole and the other person against the brick wall.

He gasped sharply when he saw that the person was Joey's sister Serenity.

"Wow, I'm so sorry about that," he said, immediately feeling like an asshole for pushing a girl against the wall. He rushed over to help her up but she seemed to be fine.

"No, that's okay," she said with a half smile. "You didn't break any bones."

"What's your name again? You're Joey's sister right?"

The girl blushed, secretly glad that he remembered. "Yes and my name's Serenity."

She was so pretty as always. Serenity was wearing a plaid button front shirt with a white scoop neck cami underneath, and dark denim bootcut jeans. She also had a scarf around her shoulder as an accessory. Her hair was pulled back behind her ears, which revealed some gorgeous triple hoop earrings.

This girl was a goddess. Mokuba couldn't help staring at her and his heart fluttered. She was even more gorgeous than the first time he met her. He suddenly couldn't find his voice and even more so when she smiled at him.

And Serenity couldn't help admire the cherubic round face of the cute raven-haired boy.

"Wow!" she beamed, trying to strike up a conversation. "I honestly didn't expect to find you here at a public school."

Mokuba scratched the back of his head out of nervousness. "Well I asked to be put in a public school. Private schools give me the creeps. They're full of rich stuck up kids who do nothing for themselves and wants everything handed to them on a silver platter. I mean sure I'm related to Seto Kaiba and we're rich as hell ourselves with our own international company, but I don't identify with those arrogant types. The only thing we have in common with those people is money and that's it. Our personalities and work ethics are totally different."

"That's amazing," Serenity replied, in total awe. She'd never met someone her age that was so mature before, much less a rich person. She'd always assume that they were mean and cruel to anyone who didn't have as much money as they did. But she could tell that Mokuba was different.

"Um, so," Mokuba uttered, feeling lame as hell for not being able to say anything else. He wondered if Serenity was feeling anything similar to what he was feeling.

"Seto Kaiba is your brother, huh? How's that like?" Serenity suddenly interjected when she sensed the awkward silence.

"Jeez, where do I start?" Mokuba replied, grinning. "I guess the fact that despite having millions of dollars at our disposal, butlers, maids, chefs, all that stuff, I still try to live like a normal kid. I make my own bed, clean my own room, do my own laundry – like any other person would. I don't really like to be spoiled and babied, you know?"

"Wow, and your brother never makes you do that stuff?"

"Nope, I chose to on my own. I don't want to grow up to be an ungrateful, spoiled brat. Seto instilled the value of hard work into me at an early age. So that's a large part of the reason why I do it – "

Mokuba stopped abruptly when he noticed a rather large ugly purple bruise around Serenity's neck. He was surprised that he didn't notice it earlier. Maybe because he was too busy ogling the girl, but now that he was more relaxed and acting like himself again, he couldn't take his eyes off it.

"Is something wrong?" Serenity queried when she noticed the look of concern on his face.

"Uhm…" he drawled. "What happened to your neck?"

"Oh! Ummm," she said quickly throwing her scarf around it. "It's…it's nothing really."

"Hmm." Mokuba noticed the change of temperament right away. If it were really nothing as she claimed, she wouldn't have been acting so suspicious about it.

"That's a pretty big nothing," he muttered, stepping closer towards her. Serenity took a step back, tightening the scarf around her neck more.

"I just had an accident," she lied, diverting her eyes toward the ground.

"No offense, but I don't really believe you," Mokuba answered sternly. He took another step in her direction and she backed up against the brick wall.

Serenity began to panic. "I'm sorry, I have to go – "

"No, wait," Mokuba cried, putting his arm out against the wall to block Serenity's path. "You can tell me."

"I said it was an accident, now please move," Serenity said through gritted teeth. She couldn't allow anyone else to be involved in this, she would never forgive herself if her father went after Mokuba for knowing what was going on in that house. It was bad enough being forced to watch her brother getting the crap beat out of him. Serenity couldn't have that happen to Mokuba too.

"Look at me," Mokuba said softly. "Do you honestly think I don't know what's going on? I know the signs of child abuse. I've been there. Serenity, please, look at me! Let me help you."

The girl intentionally stared at the ground and rubbed her forearm. She felt her eyes stinging from the impending and unavoidable tears. "You can't," she mumbled.

"Why?" Mokuba demanded, feeling his throat tighten. "Why can't I help you?"

"Because I won't let you!" she screamed, and tried to push him away from her but he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the wall and then proceeded to kissed her.

Serenity's eyes shot open as she felt Mokuba's lips press against hers. She writhed under his grip trying to get away but it only made him hold on to her tighter.

"Mmm! Mmmmm!" she tried to scream but her mouth was a little preoccupied at the moment. The more she struggled, the deeper Mokuba's lips seemed to press into hers and as enticing as this gesture would've been in any other situation, now was not one of those times.

Finally she took a knee and jabbed him in the stomach with it, causing Mokuba to cry out and break the kiss. Serenity then proceeded to take her palm and slap him as hard as she could.

"Stop! Just stop!" she cried, wiping the tears from her eyes. "For your own safety, just stay away from me, please."

She ran off, leaving Mokuba dazed and confused as to what just happened. His cheek stung and rubbing it just seemed to make it worse, and he felt a nagging cramp in his stomach. The situation was worse than he thought if she refused to accept any help, but Mokuba knew he couldn't just stand by and watch an innocent beautiful girl suffer at the hands of a monster, whoever he or she was. With or without permission, he was going to get to the bottom of this and there was only one person that would help him do that.

* * *

Yugi sat on the ledge of the steps outside of the casino near the back in an alleyway. It had been about an hour since he left the bar after his altercation with Atem, and he really wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone for the rest of the day. He wondered if he could ask Pegasus for the rest of the day off or something, so he could take the Domino City bus to the beach or the park or something. Too bad he couldn't afford to.

"Why can't I get this son of a bitch out of my mind?" he groaned to himself. He'd done the right thing by pushing Atem away, so he wouldn't try to ensnare Yugi in another one of his sexcapades. He refused to be another statistic. So why did Yugi feel like he made a mistake?

Maybe his hormones still had a hold on him, just like they did that night. It was the reason that he'd went all the way with Atem and Yugi hated himself for letting it get that far. Though Atem did make him feel good to no end with his unrelenting thrusts in and out Yugi, and never stopping his assault not even once, and it felt even greater when Yugi begged for more and he did what he wanted, though winded and with aching legs, Atem went faster and harder just as Yugi commanded and wouldn't let up until….until….

Oh God. Yugi felt himself get horny again. This was going to be more difficult than he thought. One stinkin night of what was supposed to be "just sex" turned out to be more than "just sex." The man was at his job looking for him for goodness sakes. The slim chance that Atem might actually be interested in Yugi for more than just sex somewhat scared him a little.

This whole sex and relationship thing was totally new to him and he wasn't ready for it.

"Excuse me."

Yugi was scared out of his thoughts and he looked up to find a boy with raven hair standing above him. He had a slightly red bruise on his cheek and his eyes were bloodshot. There was a black 2013 Lincoln MKZ in the background with its engine still on. Yugi figured the kid was either driven here or the car had nothing to do with him, because he didn't look old enough to drive.

"Hi, can I help you with something?" Yugi queried.

"Yeah is Joey here? I mean is he in there, working?"

"Yes, may I know who's asking?"

"Mokuba Kaiba."

Yugi's eyebrow arched. "Oh, so you're related to Seto Kaiba, I see the resemblance." He was obviously kidding but he wanted to lighten the mood, the kid looked somewhat despondent. "Stay right here, I'll get him for you."

"Thanks….oh hey you never told me your name."

"I'm Yugi."

"Mutou?"

"….Yes, how'd you guess?"

"My brother told me," Mokuba said with a slight blush.

_Then why'd you ask my name if you already knew?_ Yugi thought. "Stay right here, I'll go get Joey."

"Sure."

Yugi went back inside to the bar to beckon Joey and when he opened the swinging door, low and behold Atem was back at the bar talking to him. Not only that, when Joey spotted Yugi, he ran up to him in frenzy.

"Umm, Pegasus has been looking for you," he hissed. "He's pretty pissed that you aren't at the tables."

"What's _he_ doing back here?" Yugi scowled, disregarding Joey's omen.

"I dunno, but you better get back to work," replied Joey. He skirted towards the front of the bar again when Yugi grabbed his arm.

"Wait, Joey. Mokuba's in the back looking for you. I guess he needs to talk about something."

"Really? How'd he get here?"

"I dunno."

"Is Kaiba with him?"

"How should I know?" Yugi snapped, putting on his necktie. "Go see what the kid wants."

Yugi wasn't really mad at Joey, he was annoyed at the fact that Atem didn't seem to take a hint and was seemingly stalking him now. But when he and Joey parted ways, Yugi power walked towards the tables without glancing over at him, not wanting to give Atem any type of power whatsoever.

Atem stared Yugi down as he walked past him. He wasn't going to leave that casino until Yugi agreed to go out on a date with him. And he knew just how he was going to get it done too.

Yugi had a nagging feeling that he was being followed. He picked up the pace a little more and when he got to his table he gasped when he saw Pegasus sitting there. He gave Yugi a cold glare that made him stop dead in his tracks and when Yugi halted, he felt the body heat of another person upon him. But he didn't have the time to look behind him to see who it was.

"I'm so very glad that you decided to come here and do what I pay you to do," Pegasus drawled sarcastically. "Please let me know if you need anymore of these breaks and I'll be more than happy to hire a replacement."

"That…won't be necessary," Yugi cut in and took his seat when Pegasus departed. That wasn't before his boss shot him the angriest glare ever and Yugi cowered in his seat a little. When he saw Pegasus walk away, Atem was standing right there in his place. Yugi didn't see him at first because Pegasus was blocking him from his view.

"What the! – " Yugi almost screamed at the top of his lungs but stopped himself because there were customers at his table. He decided to ignore Atem and just sit down and deal cards.

Maybe pretending that he didn't exist would make him go away.

Unfortunately it didn't work because Atem took a seat right at the oval table to Yugi's immediate right.

Atem had the most arrogant smirk on his face and Yugi wished that he could just slap the taste out of his mouth right then. He seethed when he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a rose and handed it to Yugi.

This son of a bitch had some nerve.

"Excuse me sir, but I'm not allowed to accept gifts of any kind from my patrons. If you don't leave, I'll be forced to call security," he said with the deepest intent of satire.

"No need," Atem said, flashing a gorgeous grin that made Yugi melt inside. Curse this handsome bastard.

"Then what do you want?" Yugi demanded.

"You."

Yugi rolled his eyes and sighed as he shuffled the cards. Obviously Atem wasn't going away anytime soon. Maybe if he kept his mouth shut, Yugi could tolerate being in his presence.

"Deal me in," said Atem crossing one leg over the other and putting them on the table. Did this asshole think he owned the place or something?

"You have to buy chips and place a bet first, _sir_," Yugi replied through clenched teeth. His patience with Atem was running thin.

"A bet you say?" Atem rubbed his chin. "Fine, how about if I win five games in a row, you let me take you out to dinner?"

"Are you out of your mind! – " Yugi's voice was loud enough to garner attention from the other patrons and staff at different tables. He took in a deep breath and lowered his octave. "As I've said before, I can't be bought."

Atem found Yugi's quick temper too damn adorable. It made him want him even more. "I'm not trying to 'buy' you," he said using air quotes. "I just want to take you out to dinner."

"Why?" Yugi inquired with an extended eyebrow. "Besides the obvious."

"I wouldn't be pursuing you this hard if that's all I wanted," Atem answered with a shrug.

Yugi scoffed. "And you expect me to believe that?"

"Yes because it's true."

"I guess you expect me to believe in the easter bunny then too huh?" Yugi sneered as he collected the chips from the other patrons around the table.

"No, but now that you bring it up, I think you'd look rather cute in a bunny costume."

Yugi quickly turned his head to hide his blushing face. He hated his emotions being played with like this. Why couldn't he see how much of an arrogant twat Atem was when they first met? Then none of this would be happening.

He swore never to drink a sip of alcohol ever again.

"You never answered my question little one. Is it a deal or not?"

"First of all, my name is Yugi, not little one. And I already told you no."

"What's wrong? Afraid I'll win?"

Yugi narrowed his eyes and felt his blood boiling at this point. He wanted to punch Atem right in that pretty face of his and risk losing his job over it. At that point, Yugi didn't even care anymore.

"Can you please just leave? I have a job to do, I'm sure you can respect that."

Atem grabbed a stack of black chips – the highest dollar chips and threw them in with the others. "Now will you deal me in?"

Yugi groaned loudly and rotated his head to ease the tension in his neck. He couldn't take it anymore. Atem was never going to leave him alone.

"Fine, whatever," he spat, rolling his eyes. "Not like you'll win anyway. Let's play 21."

_Oh we'll see about that little one. I'm more of a pro than you think._

Round one. Yugi dealt everyone their two cards, including Atem. Their cards were both face up while Yugi was only allowed to have one card facing up.

Atem tapped his fingers annoyingly on the cherry wood table. He curled his lips to the side as he was trying to decide if he wanted to keep his hand or not.

"Hit me," he said to Yugi.

"Oh, I'd love to."

Atem laughed as Yugi's face was stone cold. Did he not get that Yugi was serious?

Yugi dealt Atem one more card. Atem looked at it and tried to give it back.

"You can't choose what card I give you," he sighed with exasperation in his voice. "Take it or forfeit."

"Fine." Atem took his new card and placed it on top of the one he didn't want. He had an ace and a queen, which was an automatic win if Yugi didn't pull a natural, or a blackjack himself. He was praying that he would.

Unfortunately, Yugi turned over a 3 and the already flipped up card he had was a 6. Hardly enough to beat Atem's hand.

"Twelve hundred fifty dollars for me," the man cheered as Yugi shot him an ugly scowl and handed him the chips that he bet, plus the extra that he won.

Hell no. Atem was not going to win this fight. Yugi would make sure of it.

During the second through the fourth round, Atem had won every single match, making Yugi want to pull all of his hair out. He couldn't believe the losing streak he was having. It was like fate had forced him to be stuck with this man for a very long time.

It was time for the final round of their deal. Yugi had beads of sweat pouring down his forehead. He was determined to either get a natural or at least a pair that beat Atem's. There was no way that he was going on this proposed date, it was just a pretentious front anyways and Yugi knew that Atem wanted sex again, no matter how much he tried to deny it. He must have thought that Yugi was born yesterday or something!

The man had bet only $100 this round. It wouldn't have mattered if he won the last four rounds and lost this one, because the terms of the agreement, according to Atem, were winning five games in a row, consecutively. That means losing one round meant the whole deal was off.

Unfortunately up until this point, lady luck was on Atem's side. Maybe she knew how badly he wanted this date deep down. He wanted to redeem himself to Yugi after last Friday night and show him that he wasn't just some playboy. Sure he'd been with a lot of men and women, but Yugi was someone that Atem could actually see himself with, mainly because he was the first person ever to reject him. It would've thwarted other people away but for some outlandish reason, it only made Atem pursue Yugi even harder.

Or maybe he was just a closet masochist. Either way, he'd win Yugi's heart that night.

Atem had a bad hand this round. A 6 and a 2. He asked for a hit and Yugi handed him a 9. He placed it on top of the 2 that he had. So far, Atem had 15. He wasn't sure if he wanted to get another hit. It might cost him the round.

He decided to keep the set and just hoped for lady luck to come to his rescue again.

He glanced at Yugi's cards and swallowed hard when he saw that the card that was flipped up was an ace. No doubt that Yugi gave that card a value of 11 instead of 1, so all he needed was a jack, queen or a king to win a natural.

Damn it. Atem sunk in his seat as he waited for Yugi to flip his card.

Yugi smirked. "Losing our confidence are we?" he teased, loving the look of uncertainty on Atem's features.

Honestly, he was. The possibility of not winning a date with Yugi had sent Atem almost into a nervous breakdown.

Yugi noticed the sincere anxiety in the man's eyes but decided to ignore it. He still couldn't tell if Atem was the real deal or not.

To Atem's horror and dismay, Yugi had flipped over a king. He lost the bet.

A satisfied grin curled on Yugi's lips and he crossed his arms arrogantly as he looked over at Atem, who looked absolutely downhearted.

"That's too bad," Yugi said, rather unsympathetically. "But a deal is a deal right?"

Atem was staring down at his twiddling fingers, feeling like absolute shit. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be after all.

"Yeah," he sighed sadly. "A deal is a deal. I'm sorry about all of this Yugi. I won't bother you ever again." He stood up from the table and walked off.

Yugi bit down on his bottom lip, not sure of what to think of Atem's downtrodden attitude. Was it genuine or just a show?

"Wait," Yugi called from behind. "Don't you want your money?"

"Keep it," Atem said blandly without looking back. "I have no use for it."

Yugi felt a sharp jolt right in his heart. He didn't count on Atem acting so depressed just because he couldn't win a date with him. Did he seriously have real feelings for him?

No. No, this is just an act, Yugi concluded. No way did someone want him this bad. This is all fake, a pretense. He refused to believe that someone as gorgeous and rich as Atem could ever sincerely want to be with him. Yugi had nothing to offer that Atem would be interested in.

But then again, who would go through such lengths to be with him? Yugi hadn't ever been chased or pursued this much before in his life, and though Atem annoyed him for most of the time he was here, he couldn't deny the effort that he put forth. Maybe a small part of him really did want Yugi. And as much as Yugi hated to admit it, a part of him was still attracted to Atem, though he could never tell the man that he wanted to be a part of his life – that would just give the egomaniac what he wanted to hear.

He sighed. He was probably going to regret this later.

"Wait, Atem!" Yugi cried, running full speed towards the man. When he caught up with him, he grabbed his shoulders to stop him, Atem tensed up, but didn't look behind him.

"Yes, Yugi?"

God, he sounded so sad. His shoulders slumped under Yugi's hold as he turned him around. Atem's eyes were half lidded, melancholy, dejected. Yugi had never seen anyone take rejection so hard before. It made him feel so special that someone went to great lengths just to be with him.

But still. There had to be a catch. When Yugi approached that bridge, he'd cross it, but for now, he'd go along with Atem's little game.

"I'll still go out with you. Let's do something Saturday night?"

"But I lost the bet. I was supposed to win five games in a row and I didn't. It's okay Yugi, really. You don't have to – "

"Damn you're so difficult, I refuse to go out with you and you pursue me but as soon as I change my mind you no longer want me?"

"It's not that!" Atem interjected. "It's just – a deal is a deal, you know? And I'm a man of my word."

"And I'm breaking that deal," Yugi retorted, bringing Atem's chest closer to him so he could whisper in his ear. "So will you take me out?"

Atem fought the shiver that Yugi's voice brought down his spine. "O-only if you want to," he spluttered.

"I'm asking aren't I?" Yugi whispered seductively.

"Well okay," Atem muttered clearing his throat. Being this close to Yugi brought back flashbacks of a few nights ago. He wouldn't mind if it happened again too. "Do you mind giving me your number so I can call you?"

"Absolutely not," Yugi grinned, taking his phone out of his pocket and calling Atem's number. When his number popped up on the screen, the deal was sealed.

"Gotcha," said Atem rather enthusiastically. "I'll call you later this week with the details."

"I'll be waiting," Yugi replied, batting his eyelashes.

Atem leaned down and planted a gentle kiss on Yugi's cheek earning a soft "oh" from the younger replica. He bowed his head to hide the creeping blush.

"I'll see you later little one," he said while his lips were still against his face, and he kissed down below at Yugi's neck just for good measure before walking away.

Yugi bit down on his bottom lip a little too hard to stifle the moan that was dying to spurt from his lips. His knees wobbled and his pants were tight and he found himself fighting down his hormones once again. Curse Atem for turning on his switch in front of hundreds of people.

Sighing contently, Yugi returned to his table while gently cupping his cheek that Atem placed his painfully soft lips upon. He couldn't deny it any longer.

He was falling for the man ever so hard.


	6. Disaster Date

Yugi could hardly contain himself when Saturday rolled around. He was excited about his date with Atem, but a part of him was still a bit apprehensive. He had no idea how Atem was on one of these things, and on top of that, this was Yugi's first outing - and with a rich man no less. He'd never imagine his first date with someone so perfect and handsome. Not to mention determined to get what he wanted. It may have been a loophole, but Yugi couldn't deny the effort that Atem put forth to win this date. Even if Yugi bent the rules a little in order to give Atem what he wanted.

Part of him wanted this too.

He didn't know if he'd ever have sex with him again, no matter how amazing he was in bed. Yugi always believed in taking his time in relationships before ever crossing that bridge. But seeing as it had already been crossed, he felt as though he and Atem were backtracking so to speak. First it was the sex, now came the relationship. It usually went the other way around.

He didn't have anything fancy to wear and Atem refused to tell him where they were going out to dinner. Joey and Honda surely didn't have anything that could even fit Yugi, they were significantly taller than he was, so that was out of the question. He sighed as he stood in front of his closet, totally clueless.

The closest thing to anything formal was his work uniforms but Yugi couldn't count on wearing that – no way in hell. Atem would notice right away and Yugi wasn't sure if the man was truly that vain. He'd have to find out later that night wouldn't he?

He felt like such a girl searching through his closet. Maybe he could call Anzu and ask her to come over and give him some tips. She was somewhat fashion savvy, so it wouldn't hurt.

Yugi didn't have to call, however. His three best friends were already knocking on his door, as if they had read his mind. He ran downstairs to greet them, relieved that he wouldn't have to make this decision on his own now. He was clueless when it came to things like this.

Everyone took refuge in the living room when he let them inside. Yugi and Joey sat down on the red wine colored sofa, Honda took a chair at Yugi's coffee table, and Anzu sat on the floor. She was weird like that, but she mentioned some months ago that sometimes the floor felt better than the bed when she was having back problems from work. Maybe it was a girl thing.

Joey looked rather agitated, but it seemed as though he was trying to hide it for the sake of Yugi. He was slouched back on the sofa with his fingers crossed sitting on his stomach. His legs were sprawled out resting on his heels. It wasn't his idea to come here, although seeing Yugi in itself wasn't a problem, except something else was heavily plaguing him.

He'd gotten into a huge argument with Mokuba because somehow, the kid found out that he and Serenity were being abused by their father and Joey wasn't very happy about the revelation. Up until that point, he'd been very successful in hiding it, so much that even his best friends knew nothing about it, at least in detail. They knew that his dad was an alcoholic and a deadbeat, but that's as far as Joey was willing to share. And now a kid that he'd only met just a week ago knew far more than what was his business to know. And Joey was pissed to say the least.

_After Yugi reported to Joey Mokuba was in the back alleyway wanting to speak to him, he rushed to the kid's aid. He didn't even know the kid knew where he worked so this was an unexpected surprise. When Joey busted outside the door, Mokuba was standing right there with a look of bewilderment mixed with anxiety on his face. Joey arched an eyebrow as he looked the kid up and down, wondering what his problem was. As he got closer however, he noticed a mark on Mokuba's face, as if he was slapped or struck on his cheek. Joey grew even more curious after that discovery._

"_What are you doing here, kid?" He demanded. "And how'd you know that I work here?"  
_

"_My brother told me of course," Mokuba replied coolly, shoving his hands in his pockets and staring at the ground. He was aware that Joey might notice the bruise on his cheek that Serenity gave him if he continued to look upright. He wasn't pissed or anything – that kiss was unexpected and Mokuba wasn't thinking. He didn't mean to freak the girl out, but he was maybe a little too eager to help. There were too many instances of his own sibling experiencing the horrors of child abuse when they were little, so he knew the warning signs all too well. Back when they were first adopted by Gozoburo Kaiba, he was a relentless tyrant that expected way too much out of Seto, who was only twelve years old at the time. What could Gozoburo possibly expect a child to do at that age, build a pyramid?_

_Sure Seto was precocious and gifted, no doubt about it; it was the reason Gozaburo adopted him in the first place, but the fact remained that he was still a child. His intelligence couldn't overshadow the fact that he was still in essence, emotionally immature in other aspects, especially since he was barely coddled and nurtured prior to; hence why they were unceremoniously dumped off at the orphanage as children._

_The abuse was getting to the point where Mokuba was deathly afraid of leaving Seto alone. Being only seven, he couldn't do much to protect his brother and Seto wouldn't even allow him to do so because he felt as it was his job to protect _him_._

_But still. Mokuba couldn't just sit by and watch his older brother get pummeled relentlessly just for making a mistake in Gozoburo's presence. It wasn't right. Especially since every single beating brought on bruise after bruise after bruise, some of them faded over time, but nothing could've healed Seto of the emotional scarring that proceeded after their stepfather passed away and he took over Kaiba Corporation. Even though it brought the Kaiba brothers huge success, prestige, fame, fortune, and unlimited resources and money to do whatever they wanted with, Kaiba was just as miserable inside. Mokuba could sense it, he was never in a good mood, and he became distant, cold, indifferent, almost lifeless around other people. The only time he ever showed signs that he wasn't an android was when Seto was taking care of him. Mokuba was the only person in the world that Kaiba ever trusted, and knew that would never abandon him and plus without him, Mokuba would have nothing and nobody and after everything they've been through, Kaiba could never neglect his brother. Especially having such a shitty childhood._

_And now Mokuba was watching the same thing happen to someone else. He noticed how Serenity became extremely defensive when he made mention of the bruise on her neck, as if the damned thing was hard to notice or something. It covered damn near eighty percent of her skin, how was it easy to ignore? The only reason Mokuba didn't at first was because he was too busy admiring how beautiful Serenity looked in front of him. Damn his raging teenage hormones._

"_Well tell your brother that he needs to mind his own business," Joey scowled, making a face. He couldn't seem to get fucking Seto Kaiba out of his hair, whether directly or from his brother or even people that worked for him, evident when he crossed paths with Atem earlier that night. Speaking of which, he wondered if he had caught up with Yugi when he left the bar…_

"_What can I help you with kid? And make it quick because I have to get back to work. If I knew you wanted a play date, I would've told you to wait until my shift was over."_

"_It won't take long," Mokuba replied, taking a deep breath. He didn't even come up with a way to tell Joey what he had come across. He did have a suspicion about it when they met at the club, but sometimes things didn't appear as they seemed so that's why he didn't jump to conclusions._

_But now Mokuba was sure of it._

"_Well?" Joey said impatiently. "What's going on?"_

"_I….I saw your sister at school," the kid replied hesitantly._

"_And?" Joey didn't know what the point of Mokuba coming all this way to tell him that. They went to the same school, big fucking deal. This couldn't wait until after work?_

"_I already told you that you could talk to her, so I don't know why you're still asking me permission – "_

"_That's not why I'm here," Mokuba interrupted, sighing and taking in deep breaths. Damn this was going to be a tall mountain to climb._

"_So spit it out already!" Joey was beyond annoyed at this point, especially since Pegasus was on the floor and could find him back here talking to this kid and he couldn't afford to be bitched at again, especially not after what happened with Kaiba a week ago._

"_I….." Mokuba sighed again and tried to shake away the apprehension. "I saw the bruise..."_

_Joey arched an eyebrow. "What bruise?"_

"_The bruise on her neck," Mokuba drawled slowly. He observed the quizzical look on Joey's face and concluded that he must have not known about the bruise either. "We were talking outside of class because I was bored and decided to leave and we ran into each other. And that's when I noticed it. She had a scarf and tried to hide it but I had already seen it. When I asked her about it, she said it was nothing and tried to push me away – both physically and emotionally." _

_Mokuba left out the part of him kissing Serenity, because he didn't need Joey more pissed at him than he already was going to be._

_"But….but I can't just sit here and do nothing while in the back of my mind, it's obvious that someone's being abused. I know the signs Joey. My brother was treated the same way when we were kids. And…and…" Mokuba was out of breath before he could finish his speech. He hadn't realized how much it affected him in such a short period of time. He felt so compelled to help them now._

_Joey crossed his arms, not knowing what to say, but now he had to contend with someone else knowing about what was going on behind closed doors. Which was the last thing in the world that he wanted. Getting someone else involved in something like this was not an option. _

"_I don't think you should meddle in affairs that don't concern you Kaiba," Joey mumbled indignantly. "Pretty soon you'll be caught up in a hole that you can't climb out of just because you wanted to play Superman."_

"_Are you kidding me?" Mokuba griped, tugging at the hem of his pockets on his jeans. "How can you expect me to not say or do anything after what I saw earlier?"_

"_Because it's none of your business, kid. You should just let me take care of things, it's better that way."_

"_You haven't been doing a very good job if your sister has bruises all over her neck," Mokuba said defiantly._

"_Excuse me?" Joey glowered and stared at the kid with a glint of anger in his chocolate pupils. He took a few steps forward until he was looking down at Mokuba, sensing the heightened angst in the kid's eyes._

"_Just because you're related to a big shot, snooty CEO doesn't mean you can go throw your weight around at the little people like us. I don't need your charity kid."_

"_That's not what this is about!" Mokuba cried, the shakes evident in his voice. "Someone is hurting you guys and you won't do anything about it. Why not go to the police or something?"_

_Joey scoffed. "Don't you think we have already? That shit does nothing for us except maybe a smack across the face from the old man. I can handle this better myself anyway. Serenity is staying with one of my best friends until I can get this situation taken care of."_

"_Oh, okay," Mokuba said sarcastically. "And what if your dad finds out where you guys are? What's gonna stop him from taking your sister back home? Huh? Tell me. He's her legal guardian. You can't take care of her financially."_

"_Don't you fucking tell me what I can and can't do," Joey grimaced through clenched teeth, reducing the distance between he and Mokuba. He stood over the kid, staring down at him with a face that could probably make Pegasus piss himself. His dilated pupils triggered Mokuba to cower in fear and swallow his tongue, but his throat suddenly fell dry, and despite being frightened of Joey's glare, he couldn't move a muscle. It was at that point that Mokuba began to think that maybe he'd overstep his boundaries. His throat quivered as he struggled to find his voice that seemed to falter under his fear of Joey's threatening stare._

"_I just want to help…" Mokuba's voice barely came out._

"_I don't need your kind of help, squirt." Joey turned around to walk back into the building but Mokuba grabbed his arm, against better judgment._

"_Please….I don't want you to end up like my brother."_

_Joey stopped, but didn't turn around. "What do you mean?"_

"_Haven't you ever wondered why he is the way he is? You know…mean?"_

"_Hardly," Joey replied dryly. "I don't have time to sit around wondering why another person acts the way they do. I could care less. Shit happens."_

"_Don't be so indifferent, I get enough of that from Seto," Mokuba pleaded, not caring that his voice was shaking at this point. "He never got any type of therapy or help after he was abused. He refused to accept any. He said he would "get over it" but he never did. He changed dramatically when he took over Kaiba Corp. Before we were adopted, he was much more expressive and nurturing and interactive – _human_ basically. But now I can't even get him to smile anymore. I would hate for that to happen to someone as wonderful as your sister…or even you Joey."_

_Joey still had his back facing Mokuba but he listened. Sure he didn't want his sister to end up in some mental ward as an invalid. But at the same time, he couldn't allow someone else to get involved without thinking of the repercussions. Mokuba was preparing to enter the sea on a boat without an anchor. He had no idea what he was getting himself into. Joey refused to allow the kid to destroy himself this way._

"_Mokuba, just go back home. You have a good life. You live in a big fancy mansion with your brother, who owns more than half of this damn city, with all the butlers and maids at your command, all the food you could eat, all the clothes, shoes and money at your disposal. You got it made kiddo. People like me? I don't have that kind of privilege. I'm the only one in my house that does something for a living. My asshole father just sits around all day drinking himself closer and closer to death, and still thinks he has the right to spend all of my money on more booze. And if I don't give him any money, he either beats the shit out of me, or threatens my sister and I can't allow her to get hurt…." His voice caught in his throat at the end when he mentioned Serenity. " – so I take a beating for her."_

_Nothing was said after that. Joey took in deep breaths to thwart off the tightness in his chest and gullet. He hated crying in front of anyone, to him it wasn't very masculine and all of his life, he fought against anything that resembled an emotion because the feeling of being drained and lifeless after spilling out your heart to anyone along with tears falling down your face was just unappealing to him. And he certainly didn't want Serenity to see him like this, Joey was her role model, her hero. He was essentially the only person that could take care of her now – he just didn't know how he was going to ultimately protect her from this._

_Joey felt arms snake their way around his waist and it took him a minute to realize that Mokuba was hugging him from behind. He felt the kid's nose dig into his back and tighten his grip around his torso. Joey didn't know what to make of it. The only hugs he'd received that were so intimate were from Serenity and sometimes Anzu if she were in that sort of touchy feely state of mind, which was rare._

_He didn't like this closeness though. Getting emotionally attached to someone else was not on Joey's agenda, especially if the variable for this whole meeting was because of child abuse and Mokuba wanted to play detective because of it. The kid still had no idea what he was doing._

"_You should go," Joey mumbled, staring down at the ground. He had to get back to work._

"_Will you at least let me help you guys?" Mokuba asked. "You can come and stay with me if your dad gets out of line again – "_

"_Jesus Christ kid, take a hint will ya? I don't want or need your help!" Joey snapped, taking Mokuba's arms and pushing them away from him. He turned around and saw the puzzling look on the kid's face. But not saying a word, Joey turned back towards the door and walked away._

"_You're just as stubborn as my brother is. It figures – you guys were made for each other," he said rolling his eyes._

"_Don't compare me to that asshole brother of yours, we are nothing alike," Joey seethed, grabbing Mokuba's collar, making the kid's breath hitch. "He's a piece of garbage who thinks that just because he has money, that he can shit on everyone else below him. He thinks he's fucking Buddha or something. Don't you dare put him and me in the same sentence!"_

"_First of all," Mokuba hissed, grabbing Joey's hands and shoving them away, "Don't talk about my big brother like that, you don't know him at all to be passing any judgment. Second! He's not as bad as everyone thinks! He just acts that way because….because he's guarded. He feels like he has to be that way to protect me. That night at the club, he was spazzing out because I wasn't where I was supposed to be and being only sixteen, he thought something bad had happened to me. Any loving and caring sibling would do the same thing. I promised that I wouldn't sneak out with Mana, Mahad and Atem again all because I didn't wanna see the look on Seto's face when I walked in the door. You were there Joey…you only saw what was on the surface. You saw a mean spirited jerk, but – but that's not who Seto is. I refuse to believe that about him. He's never hurt me Joey, despite being hurt himself. He's not a bad person."_

_Joey rolled his eyes. He wasn't in the mood to hear some sob story about a rich punk, now or ever in his life. He had better things to do. "I don't have time for this shit, I'm going back to work. Stay outta my business kid, you'll thank me for it in the end."_

"_B-b-but Joey –"_

"_I said go!"_

_Mokuba just stood there watching Joey walk back into the casino doors. He didn't look behind him once and he wanted to get back to his job before he got caught taking a detour when he wasn't supposed to._

_Mokuba felt defeated and lonesome. The two people that needed help the most refused to acknowledge it much less accept it, so now what could he do? He couldn't tell Seto, he probably wouldn't care, and he didn't know how much Joey's friends knew about the situation. He had to do something though, despite Joey's forewarning. If something terrible happened to the Wheeler siblings, Mokuba couldn't live with himself, especially since he had knowledge of it._

_No matter what Joey said, Mokuba was more determined than ever to help now._

"I did ask him, he said it was a surprise."

Joey was lost in his own head until Yugi's voice broke him out of his stupor. That memory of his conversation with Mokuba was still fresh in his mind, and all he wanted to do was erase it because there was no way some sixteen year old kid was gonna solve all his problems.

"I wonder what kind of _surprise_ he has in store for you," Anzu said with a wink. She couldn't resist teasing Yugi about how nervous and flushed he looked.

"No, no we are not doing _that_ again," Yugi said adamantly. "I just want some good food, good conversation and good company."

"And then you can end the lovely evening with some good sex," Honda cut in, bursting into laughter after that.

Yugi threw a decorative pillow from the couch at Honda's head. "I'm not sleeping with him again, dammit!" he blushed like a schoolgirl talking about her crush for the first time in front of her friends. Everyone noticed the twinkle in his amethyst eyes when Atem's name was mentioned, or even the notion of Atem made Yugi's face flush as red as a ripe tomato. Anzu thought it was adorable.

"So what do you expect to gain from this Yugi? Could you see yourself being in a relationship with this guy?" she asked.

"Oh hell no," Yugi answered without hesitation. "Have you guys actually seen him? He doesn't look like the committing type."

"He must be if he's chasing you, right?" Anzu countered, picking up the pillow that Yugi threw at Honda and handing it back to him. "Maybe he saw something different in you that he never did in the other people he's been with."

Yugi shuddered. "I wonder how many people he _has_ been with," he frowned, resting back on the couch. He glanced over at Joey and the guy just seemed to be totally zoned out, in the room physically but certainly not mentally. "Joey?" he jabbed his best friend in the side to get his attention.

"Hmm?" Joey turned his head and saw that Yugi looked concerned. He paid no attention to their conversation and he wasn't his usual talkative, outgoing, obnoxious self. Something was off.

"You've been awfully quiet since you got here, are you okay?" Yugi asked with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah, I'm just tired," Joey lied, fake yawning to prove his point. He really didn't want to talk about his problems on Yugi's big night with Atem.

Nobody really believed him but Joey was never the type of person to dump his family issues on anyone. He didn't think it was their responsibility so he tried to play the tough guy all the time and solve his problems himself, never admitting that he needed help even though he did deep down.

"So what are you gonna wear tonight Yugi?" Honda queried changing the subject quickly. The silence was beginning to be a bit awkward.

"I have no idea," Yugi admitted. He was still wearing his pajamas that he slept in the night before. He still had to shower, brush his teeth, get dressed and fix his hair, which was what he was about to do until the gang showed up.

"I figured you'd say that," Honda replied with a smirk. "Stay right here, I'll be back."

Yugi, Joey and Anzu exchanged confused gazes as they watched Honda walk outside, most likely to his car to get something. When he reemerged, he was carrying an outfit covered by plastic on a hanger, most likely so it wouldn't get dirty or damaged. "Here you go. Nice, primed, pressed and ready to be worn by the finest blackjack dealer in all of Grand Domino."

"Honda! – " Yugi exclaimed, taken aback by this unexpected gesture. "I don't know what to say, I mean – no, I can't possibly accept this."

"You can and you will," Honda insisted. "We want you to have a good time."

"I want him to get laid again," Joey suddenly said for the first time since he'd been sitting down. He yelped when Yugi punched him in the arm, not too hard though.

"Don't hold your breath," he muttered. "I'm staying completely sober tonight."

"Isn't that what you said at the club last weekend? And yet you still ended up having drunk sex with Atem after he took you home? Yeah you haven't been a man of your word lately," Joey teased.

"Shut up," Yugi growled, "or I'll set you up on a date with Seto Kaiba."

"Dude, I thought we were friends," Joey whined, scowling at the mention of Kaiba's name.

"Stop denying your feelings," Yugi goaded, trying to get under Joey's skin and cheer him up, though he might have just made his mood worse talking about Kaiba. "I see the way you look at him."

"You mean with hatred and disdain?" Joey drawled, rolling his eyes. "I'd rather clean up elephant shit than coexist with that jerkoff."

"You know Joey," Anzu interjected, "I read somewhere before that the person who irritates you the most cares about you the most."

"Oh please," Joey replied with a snort. "The only person that Seto Kaiba cares about is the person staring back at him in the mirror. And maybe his little brother."

"What do you mean _maybe_?" Honda laughed, not really sure if Joey was being sarcastic or not. "Of course he does."

"That in itself is an accomplishment, if I ever saw one," he muttered.

Their conversation was interrupted by Honda's phone that went off indicating that he had an incoming text message. When he checked to see who it was, his eyes widened when he found out it was from Otogi.

His heart leaped. Honda's hand began to shake, hesitant to open the message to see what Otogi wanted. Did he still have that little incident from last Saturday on his mind? Surely he couldn't because they both agreed to put it behind them.

"You alright Honda?" Anzu asked, patting him on the lower leg.

"Uhhh….yeah, I just gotta take care of this phone call, something must have happened at work, or I don't know. I'll see you guys later. Yugi, you have a good time, and I wanna hear something positive at work on Monday."

"Hey wait you jackass, you're our ride home!" Joey exclaimed, following Honda out of the door. He grabbed Anzu's hand on the way out, making her yelp from the harsh way Joey had grabbed her, not giving her enough time to collect herself before he unceremoniously rushed her out of Yugi's apartment.

Joey stayed back and stood at the doorway. "Have fun and uhhhh…Don't do anything I would do," he said with a wink and slammed the door before the pillow that Yugi threw at him was able to hit his target.

Laughing to himself, Yugi observed his new outfit and removed the plastic to see what it looked like. There was a black Calvin Klein fitted dress shirt with black tailored wool dress pants from Hugo Boss. It also came complete with a white handkerchief for the front pocket. Honda really outdid himself for Yugi.

He looked at his watch. It was 7:30 and his date was Atem wasn't for another hour. Yugi had to rush though because there was still so much for him to do and he wanted to look at least halfway decent for Atem, who no doubt would probably blow everyone in the restaurant out of the water with his impeccable and untouchable attire. Yugi didn't want to look like a bum standing next to him. But he was hoping Atem wasn't that vain, however.

Yugi jumped in the shower rather quickly so that he wouldn't be too held back thinking about Atem and what he would be wearing. He turned on the water and wet himself up before lathering up his Zest soap in a shower puff, starting with his neck, enjoying the relaxing and soothing scent of the soap entering his nose. He closed his eyes and continued to massage down to his chest and simultaneously letting the water hit his skin. He circled around his stomach and his back, instinctively turning counterclockwise so that his back was facing the shower curtains. As Yugi moved the shower puff towards his arms to wash them, he felt another pair of arms wrap around him.

Naturally his entire body stiffened and he opened his mouth to scream, but the intruder covered it just in time and felt Yugi's frantic pants against his hand. The other arm was enfolded across Yugi's waist.

"Relax, little one. It's me."

"Mmm?"

Was that really Atem? How did he get inside Yugi's apartment? Did Joey forget to lock the door on his way out?

Yugi was still very tense under Atem's grip and seeing as how he was in the shower stark naked, it made the situation a hundred times worse. Atem could easily push Yugi against the wall and have his way with him with little to no resistance. He wasn't even sure if he'd be able to resist Atem a second time.

He froze when Atem's hand made its way down in between his legs. He still had his hand over Yugi's mouth, but not forcefully. Yugi would be able to scream for help if he had the chance, but for some reason he didn't. Part of him didn't want to.

"At-t-tem, what are you doing here?" Yugi stammered, still squirming at the feel of Atem's hand in between his legs, rubbing the inner thigh.

"I just wanted to give you a sneak peak into what's in store for you tonight little one," Atem answered seductively in Yugi's ear, making him weak in the knees. They gave in and Yugi would've fell had it not been for Atem's cat like reflexes. He held Yugi up by the waist again and pushed him into the wall. Yugi uttered a surprise moan and felt Atem's hand grazing the left side of his body and trembled again under his touch. He whimpered when he felt Atem's lips nibbling on his ear gently, and then moved to the back of his neck. The sensation made Yugi feel absolutely hot and his member grew painfully hard, finding it all of a sudden difficult to breathe, especially when he felt Atem's own dick brushing against his bottom.

"Do you want me to stop, Yugi?" he whispered as he planted soft, pliant kisses on his neck and parts of his back while caressing his side and thigh all at the same time.

Yugi was flushed with fever, breathing so hard and fast he thought he might faint, and barely able to get his thoughts together. "No…don't," he moaned. "Please…."

"I was hoping you'd say that," Atem chuckled, removing his hand from Yugi's mouth and to his hips, turning him around so that he was facing him. Yugi's face was red as wine and he was gasping for air, looking up at Atem with an almost desperate gleam. He grabbed the man's cheeks and pulled him into an aggressive kiss, and Atem lifted Yugi up in response, wrapping his legs around his waist and hoisting him against the wall while slipping his tongue into Yugi's mouth. Yugi gladly accepted the gesture and wanted more, tilting his head for better and deeper angles into Atem's mouth and moaned when Atem sucked his lips into his own.

He broke the kiss when Atem's finger invaded his insides and Yugi threw his head back on the wall exposing his neck, gasping, panting and moaning, trying to get himself together. This was so much for him to handle, but at the same time, he couldn't stop. He wouldn't. He didn't even care how Atem got into the apartment, Yugi was glad that he was there and now he wasn't going to let Atem leave until he was satisfied, orgasm and all.

"You're still so tight and hot little one…I can't wait to be inside of you," Atem said against Yugi's neck as he simultaneously played with Yugi's entrance, trying to get him loose and sucked the skin inward, earning a shaky gasp from the one he yearned and lusted after.

"Please…hurry…I can't take it anymore," Yugi begged.

"Patience little one, these things take time," Atem cooed, as he continued to prod Yugi's opening, feeling the tight sphincter muscles clench around his finger. He was still too tense to try and penetrate and Atem couldn't hurt Yugi in any manner, especially one such as this, so he kept massaging and rubbing slowly, much to Yugi's frustration.

"Atem, please! – "

"Shhhhhhh…." Atem cooed once again. He felt Yugi's legs begin to shake and his heart pounding against his own chest and the moans seemed to fall out of Yugi's mouth without his permission but he was too weak to stop it.

Atem ghosted another finger across Yugi's exposed neck, feeling nothing but smooth texture under his long, gracious digits, taking note of the red mark that was planted there from his lips earlier. He once again sucked down on it while probing and loosening up Yugi's muscles below, and felt Yugi's fingers dig into his back as he arched up instinctively against Atem as he added a second finger and then a third, making Yugi scream his name in absolute euphoria.

When Yugi lowered his head, his eyes met Atem's and he couldn't deny the urgency and hunger in his gaze, and their lips pressed against each other again as Atem removed his fingers and pumped himself a few times to get hard.

Yugi screamed out loud when he felt Atem push inside him. He was pinned against the shower walls, automatically throwing his head back with his arms around Atem's neck trying to deal with the new invasion in his body. Atem didn't start moving right away, but he felt himself expanding inside of Yugi and he didn't know how much longer he could hold off. The little one felt so good, Atem thought he would lose it at any given second. But he waited before proceeding because he didn't want to hurt Yugi.

Yugi couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't speak. He could barely even process his thoughts and emotions without them reducing into a pile of almost nothing when he felt Atem inside of him. And when he pushed even more of himself painfully slow, Yugi tightened his grip more around Atem's neck, gasping, desperate for air to enter his lungs, and crying out for more.

"You're even more eager for this than you were the last time we made love," Atem snickered with his face against Yugi's neck. He felt the little one weave his fingers in and out of his tri colored locks, in addition to his hips buckling up against his. He pinned Yugi down harder against the wall so that he couldn't move or budge an inch. "Uh-uh, you stay right there little one," he teased and couldn't help but smile when he heard Yugi whine after that command.

"Atem, I'm gonna explode if you don't fuck me right now," Yugi growled, and once again tried to arch his hips upward but Atem thrusted himself inside him to punish him. Yugi screamed when he felt the sudden pressure on his entrance and he pleaded, begged for more. Atem obliged, and continued to pound into Yugi, slamming his back against the wall with every thrust. He was sure that it would leave bruises on Yugi's back but he didn't seem to know, or care.

Yugi held Atem closer to him when he felt his pace speed up, moaning and gasping at the assault on his lower body. Atem gripped his thighs and sank his teeth into Yugi's collarbone, not too hard, but enough to make Yugi cry out in ecstasy. He didn't bite Yugi the last time they had sex, but if this was what Atem's little fetish was, then Yugi was fine with it. Let Atem mark him.

Yugi's legs were shaking so badly the longer Atem drove himself inside of him, that he could barely keep his grip around Atem's waist. He didn't want to let go, but his muscles were rendered too weak to hold on to, so reluctantly, Yugi lowered them. Atem didn't like this however.

He temporarily stopped and switched positions and got Yugi on his back on the shower floor and didn't waste any time getting on top of him and continuing his thrusts and pushes inside of his partner. Yugi's legs opened wide and he lifted his thighs on either side of Atem's waist so that he could go deeper, and it was easier to keep them there now that they were in missionary position. It felt better this way because Atem had more freedom to go even crazier with his slams and striking Yugi's prostate was even easier as well.

Every time he felt Atem enter him, Yugi either moaned or down right screamed his name in pleasure and agony, feeling Atem's breath against his neck and occasional moans himself, which turned Yugi on even more. He loved hearing how he felt to Atem in the form of a moan or a grunt.

Atem was fucking Yugi so hard, his lower back began to hurt from being slammed repeatedly against the tile shower floor, but nothing could stop them from desperately reaching their peak no matter how much it hurt them afterwards.

The heat from their lovemaking was evident on Yugi's face, flushed and red from what Atem was doing to him, and as their foreheads came together, Atem could tell that from Yugi's enraptured expression that his climax was approaching.

"Shit…" Yugi felt his lower body going completely numb and he clenched his teeth and his toes curled every time Atem hit his g-spot, which made his body feel even weaker but he couldn't stop begging for Atem to keep going, it felt so fucking good.

"Yugi….come for me," Atem panted before he pressed his lips on top of Yugi's hearing an immediate moan from the little one's voice, but soon separating their lips because the constant slamming and thrusting was too much for them to concentrate on making out.

"Oh g-g-god Atem! – " Yugi could barely get the sentence out without his throat and gullet shaking and with one final scream, his body stiffened as the tension in his abdominal muscles expanded and then contracted after he released himself all over Atem's stomach and chest, going limp and motionless when the climax finally faltered.

Atem gave a few last humps before he felt his own self coming, gasping against Yugi's neck and sighing profoundly when he came, spilling his juices inside of the younger one and collapsing on top of him.

Neither one said a thing for the longest period of time. Only the sound of shaky and trembling breaths filled the otherwise quiet and empty air. Atem lifted himself on his elbows and stared down at Yugi who looked exhausted and spent but absolutely elated and pleased with what Atem did to him.

He attempted to slowly and gently remove his member from inside of Yugi when he felt the little one stir under him and grab his hips.

"Please…don't. I want to feel you inside me when I wake up," he mewled with a shaky and feeble voice, but he had enough energy to smile at Atem and pull him down for a more passionate and receptive kiss to coax him even more. Of course Atem couldn't say no to this so he leaned into the kiss, angling his head to the side and slipping his tongue into Yugi's mouth, warranting a satisfied moan from the younger one.

Yugi was caught off guard when Atem lifted himself up and started to push into him again, while they kissed and with a startled cry, he recoiled and grabbed Atem's shoulders to look at him.

"I don't think I'm fully satisfied yet," he winked and before Yugi could protest, he began thrusting into him once again.

"Yes….yes, don't stop," Yugi moaned, shutting his eyes tightly to enjoy the sensation, but when he did, he couldn't feel Atem on top of him anymore. A cold draft of air made him shiver and he snapped his eyes open to discover that he was all alone in the shower. Yugi was on his back with the water still on spouting in his face, holding himself. He looked down at his stomach and saw that there was semen everywhere, not only on his abs, but also in his hand and on the shower floor.

Yugi couldn't believe that he just had a wet dream about Atem. It felt so real and invigorating, so much so that he masturbated to what he thought were actual events but when he discovered that it was all in his head, it sent him into a fit of anger.

"Fuck, fucking _fuck_!" he screamed, hearing his voice echo in the bathroom. How could he have lost control of himself like that? Why was Atem on his mind so much? Only a week after meeting this guy, and Yugi couldn't stop thinking about him. Atem was consuming his very heart and soul. Was the sex really that amazing that Yugi was starting to become infatuated – dare say obsessed with Atem?

He had to calm himself down before Atem showed up at his door. Yugi was still in the shower and it probably wasn't going to be very long before his date showed up. Very clumsily he exited the shower, his legs still feeling weak and almost falling on his ass when he was upright. He remembered that his outfit was still downstairs and he had to go fetch it and run back upstairs to his room to get ready. Yugi didn't even know what time it was.

Apparently it was 8:30 because when he reached the living room, there was a knock on the door. Yugi froze and swallowed hard, seeking his voice in the abyss of his throat.

"Wh-wh-who is it?" he asked and bit down on his bottom lip because he sounded so feeble.

"It's me little one."

Fuck. Yugi was still naked, except now he had a towel around his waist and water was dripping on the floor. He ascended the stairs halfway before speaking again. "Come on in, the door's open!"

And with that, he dashed up to his room. He couldn't risk Atem seeing him with no clothes on; that would probably bring his wet dream into fruition and Yugi still wasn't sure how strong his willpower was.

He heard Atem sit down on the couch and Yugi mad dashed in his room and dried himself off. There was still a bit of cum in between his inner thigh and he groaned, rubbing it off vigorously. He didn't want Atem to find out that he was having vivid fantasies about having shower sex with him in the bathroom.

"Are you okay up there?" Atem asked with an elevated voice. "Do you need any help getting ready?"

"No!" Yugi shouted insistently. "No, it's fine, I'm just running a little late. I'm sorry. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"It's okay. I'm not too worried about punctuality. You just sound like you're having trouble with something."

Yugi smirked. If only he knew.

After ten minutes of rushing, Yugi managed to come downstairs to meet and greet his guest. He stopped in his tracks when Atem stood up and walked towards him.

He was wearing a black rib-trim turtleneck from Michael Kors, and black stretch twill jeans. The sweater was tight enough to outline his ribbed muscles, particularly his pectorals, and the top of the sweater stopped right at the nape of his neck muscles. He didn't look as sophisticated or decked out as Yugi anticipated, but damn did Atem ever look delicious in that turtleneck. He could make any outfit look divine against that gorgeous body.

Atem noticed Yugi staring at him a little too hard and couldn't help but to laugh. He enjoyed the attention the little one was giving him. He didn't want to bring attention to it though.

"You look nice, Yugi," he complimented. "I guess we had the same idea on what colors to wear huh?"

"Thanks," Yugi said with a blush. He lowered his head to the floor to hide his embarrassment, wondering how the hell he was going to get through this date with Atem without wanting to jump his bones.

"Are you ready to go little one? I'm sure you're quite hungry," said Atem with a smile. He put his hand on the small of Yugi's back and Yugi jumped at the sudden contact. He felt his spine shivering and he took a deep breath and faked a smile.

"Yeah, I'm actually starving, I haven't eaten all day," he answered, still avoiding to look at Atem in his dark crimson irises. If his body wasn't enough to tantalize Yugi, his eyes sure were.

Atem noticed Yugi's fidgety conduct, but he just concluded that as nervousness, as he was surprisingly nervous himself. He couldn't stop thinking about Yugi since the week prior, even when he was at work, and everyone, especially Mana noticed how up in the clouds Atem was about everything. He was late to company meetings and forgot about a scheduled lunch with his brother Mahad to talk about new designs and possibly a software upgrade to Kaiba's already immaculate state of the art duel disc system – Atem was too preoccupied thinking about his date with Yugi and how perfect he wanted it to go. Of course, everyone was pissed at him for his absent mindedness, but none more than Seto Kaiba himself. He was already still indignant at Atem for aiding Mokuba in sneaking out of the house before, and he was still on Kaiba's shit list.

Kaiba told Atem that if he didn't have his shit together by Monday that he was going to give any and all future projects to his brother, and he'd be stuck as his personal assistant. In other words, Kaiba's bitch. Atem didn't want that in the least.

He knew this date would go off without a hitch though, so Kaiba's warning didn't petrify him at all.

When they got outside Yugi's apartment complex, he gasped at Atem's very expensive looking car. It was a 2013 Bugatti Veyron 16.4 coupe; Sleek, racy, an adjustable/retractable back spoiler, a large radiator grill in the front and generously designed fenders in the back. The inside of the car sported soft and supple full grain napa leather, a rearview camera, full voice activated navigation system, CD and satellite radio, and even a TV monitor in the glove compartment for watching movies.

Yugi was astounded. He'd never seen such a beautiful, elegant car this close up, much less sit inside one. It looked perfect from front to back, and he was so mesmerized by the beauty that he temporarily forgot that Atem was standing behind him.

His stomach jumped when he felt hands on his shoulders. "I'll let you in, little one," Atem whispered in his ear, and Yugi felt the same weakness in his knees that he did in his wet dream. He slowed down his breathing and watched Atem open the door for him to let him inside.

"Such a gentleman," Yugi giggled and as he walked off the curb to the car door, he brushed a hand across Atem's cheek, marveling at the smooth surface and earning a blush from the man. It took everything in Atem not to kiss Yugi's hand, but he wanted to be as respectful as possible tonight so that he could be back in Yugi's good graces.

When Atem's reached the driver's side of the car, his cologne was much more noticeable and potent and Yugi's nostrils flared up, as it was a bit strong, but not anything he couldn't handle. Atem flashed him a smile before driving off, and Yugi hid his face once again to hide the burn of red on his face.

"You're quite cute when you blush," Atem grinned as they traveled down the main road that led to uptown Neo Domino. Yugi couldn't help but beam at his compliment, but it still made him so unnerved. Atem was just the perfect person to be with.

They ended up going to an upscale Italian restaurant, in the suburbs of Neo Domino, somewhere that Yugi was absolutely unfamiliar with. It looked too expensive and too high fashioned for his wallet. It was a good thing that Atem offered to take him out and pay for everything because if it were up to Yugi, they would be dining at Burger World near his apartment.

Atem drove up to the entry way and escorted Yugi out of the car and handed his keys to a valet. Then, taking the little one's hand, Atem lead the way and walked inside the restaurant.

It was a bit intimidating to say the least. Yugi recognized some local politicians, business tycoons, famous supermodels, up and coming musicians, and entrepreneurs that sat at the elegant row of tables, only because a lot of them frequented Casino Royale. This was a totally different environment, however. Yugi wasn't at the tables serving cards and taking bets. He was on a date.

"Like what you see?" Atem asked him when he noticed Yugi gawking at the landscape of the restaurant. The chandeliers above them were unusually polished, gleaming under the bright yellow lights of the entire sanctuary of the room.

"It's beautiful," Yugi marveled, not helping the fact that he couldn't take his eyes off everything. There was even a stage to his very left where someone was playing the piano, but Yugi also noticed a cello, a row of violins, trumpets, harps, guitars, a drum set, cymbals and seemingly an entire orchestra. Not only that, but there was a dance floor beyond the sea of instruments on the stage, separate from the floor that they were on and Yugi spotted a few couples slow dancing. He imagined that Atem would probably want to be a part of that activity later on, when they were nice and full.

"Not nearly as beautiful as you, Yugi," Atem once again whispered behind Yugi, holding him by the waist and giving him a gentle squeeze. Yugi couldn't help but gasp under his touch but he tried to control himself. He didn't want to end up jumping Atem in front of all these people.

Atem rested a chin on Yugi's shoulder, taking notice of the pink flush across his cheeks. "What do you say we go somewhere more quiet and to ourselves? I reserved a private space for us, if that's okay with you, little one."

_It would be if I didn't have this burning desire to jump your bones,_ Yugi thought to himself. But on the other hand, he didn't want to share Atem with the rest of these people, so he didn't object to it.

"Of course it's fine with me, why wouldn't it be?" he smiled at the older replica, taking Atem's hand and letting him guide him towards the back of the restaurant.

He led Yugi upstairs and to an outside area where a table for two was waiting for them. They had a palatial view of Neo Domino, the lights from the business districts and skyscrapers making the entire city appear as though it were Christmas, and Yugi could even see Casino Royale from where he was sitting. They were just that high up.

The candlelit table was more than what he bargained for, with the white covering draped over it, and silverware placed neatly near their plates. Yugi and Atem sat across from each other and Yugi looked at his surroundings, totally taken away by how sophisticated the setting was.

"Wow Atem…I don't know what to say. I really didn't expect this," he said. "Thank you so much for taking me here."

"It was your idea, remember?" the man replied with a wink, as he took a sip of water in a glass. "If you didn't change the rules of the game, we wouldn't have been at this place."

"Yeah well…" Yugi let his voice trail off, not wanting to reveal to Atem how much he really liked him. It might scare him or put him off and he didn't want to ruin this perfect date.

"I'm glad you changed your mind though," said Atem crossing his arms and holding the glass in his hand. "You're honestly the most candid and straightforward person I've ever met. And you have a quick little temper to boot. I find it adorable though."

"Oh." Yugi found himself blushing again. What was that, the hundredth compliment so far? Atem was being shameless tonight.

He took a sip of water before speaking. "Well, I have been known to flare up when there's a fire under my ass," he said boldly, trying to match Atem's wit with his own. Yugi could flatter someone shamelessly too if he put his mind to it.

"And what would that fire be?" Atem queried, as if he couldn't tell.

"Hmmm," Yugi hummed, rubbing his chin. "I dunno. It's this guy that, ever since we met, has thrown me for a loop every time I'm around him. He's a smooth talker, sexy as hell, and amazing in bed. I still feel aftershocks from it."

He held back a laugh when he saw the quirk in Atem's eyebrow. Yugi was being playful but deep down, he meant every word he said. He just wanted to play like he wasn't being serious.

"So," Atem said, after he recovered from the mild shock of Yugi's bold confession. "You think I'm sexy huh?"

"Who doesn't?" Yugi smirked, taking a peek inside his menu. There were way too many choices and it would probably take him the entire date to decide on what to eat, because everything looked so delicious. He loved Italian food. "What do you want to eat, Atem?"

_You, to be honest,_ Atem thought internally, grinning at the exciting notion of making love to Yugi for a second time. "I'm not even sure yet," he said aloud.

Yugi glanced up from his menu and caught Atem smirking down at his menu and it heightened his curiosity. "What's so funny?"

"Hmm?" Atem didn't even realize that he had been smiling the whole time. "What do you mean?"

Yugi scoffed. "You're over there grinning like a Cheshire cat. I know you're up to something, or at least thinking about something naughty. I've been to bed with you, Atem. Don't try to act all dignified now."

"I'm not," he laughed, breathing in a sigh as he turned the pages of his menu. Yugi probably had an idea what was on his mind, but he didn't want to let him know that he was right. "I'm just excited at all the delicious food choices here."

"Liar," Yugi said under his breath. "But I am hungry though."

"Me too, in more ways than one," Atem hummed, sneaking a glance at Yugi and winking at him when they locked eyes.

"Oh god, stop it!" Yugi hissed in a mock indignation. "We're in public, you can't talk like that."

"I can do whatever I damn well please," Atem drawled and lowered his head on the table. "Including you."

The conversation was getting sexual very quickly and Yugi was at the point of no return, and on top that, it wasn't helping him put a lid on his raging hormones that he was supposed to be keeping under wraps. Atem's sexy, low and husky tone of voice was making it very hard for Yugi to stay calm. But he tried.

He took a deep breath and exhaled, leaning back in his seat. Maybe concentrating on the actual food would waver his nagging libido.

"The pasta fagioli looks good," Atem stated.

"Pasta _what_?" Yugi asked.

"It's like a traditional Italian soup with celery, parsley, tomatoes, spinach, that kinda stuff. At least for an appetizer."

"That does sound tempting, among other things," said Yugi with a side smirk. He didn't look up at Atem that time but he could feel his eyes on him anyways. He loved this little game that they were playing.

When silence befell the two of them, a woman, most likely the waitress Yugi presumed, appeared from the staircase with a bottle of red wine. She greeted the two formally, but stopped once she locked eyes with Atem.

She was wearing a leopard print chiffon tube dress. Her hair was a dark ebony color, and her skin rivaled that of Atem's in which it seemed just as flawless and blemish free as his was, except hers was bit lighter shade. She seemingly ignored Yugi, but her expression brightened when Atem looked at her and when she went to pour his wine (without asking if he even wanted any first), she bent down unnaturally low, so low that her cleavage was well in full view right in front of him. Yugi quirked an eyebrow, somewhat scandalized, but he didn't let it rattle him too much. It was no surprise if someone found Atem attractive other than himself but this lady seemed to want his attention a little too badly.

"Have you gentleman decided on what you wanted to order?" she asked in the most sweetest, yet pretentious tone. Her voice for some reason aggravated Yugi and at the same time, it sounded so familiar. Where has he heard that annoying voice before?

Yugi was too irked at this point to even look at her. He stared hard at his menu and gave a glance to Atem who at this point looked rather startled. "Umm, pasta fagioli is fine for now. Thank you."

The woman giggled and hummed. "Still watching that gorgeous figure of yours huh? I can appreciate that in a man."

Atem squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. For some reason, he wasn't taking well to this woman's advances, probably because she worked there and it was against company policy to flirt with the customers.

She poured more wine after he took a swig of it, again without asking, and again exposing her cleavage in Atem's face, totally disregarding Yugi. Her ass was practically in his sight and Yugi had to look away towards the view of the city of Neo Domino.

She then walked over to Atem and stood behind him, and for the first time, Yugi finally got a glimpse of her face.

It was Vivian Wong. Yugi recognized her as one of Anzu's backup dancers at his job at Casino Royale in the Pussycat Dolls. But what was she doing here in this restaurant? And why did she come to bother Atem of all people?

She wrapped her arms around him while Yugi watched with a seething glare, and poked her full lips towards Atem's ear. Yugi watched in disbelief as she whispered something in his ear while taking her index finger and played with the nape of his turtleneck sweater. Atem shifted once again, feeling so uneasy while Vivian was practically molesting him in front of Yugi, but he couldn't do anything to stop it. His pants grew tight as Vivian continued to say dirty things in his ear and the longer she talked, the more angry Yugi became because he saw no effort from Atem to push her away.

Yugi couldn't believe that she had rudely interrupted their date, and as she continued to grope Atem, he just sat in his chair, stunned.

Did this bitch not notice that Yugi was sitting there?

As a lasting effect, Vivian forcefully grabbed Atem by his dick, making him jump out of his seat, leaving Yugi totally scandalized and enraged at this point. She grinned evilly when she noticed the sharp glare in Yugi's eyes. She didn't give a damn, Atem was her fuck buddy first anyway, and she was just coming back to claim what was hers to begin with. And she wanted another round.

"When you're done with your little 'date', give me a call. I'll show you some real fun," she said, loud enough so that Yugi could hear her. She went to kiss Atem on the cheek, but he turned his face, hoping she would get the hint that he really didn't want her there.

She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and made her way back downstairs, but not before blowing a kiss at Atem and scowling at Yugi before she disappeared.

There was complete and utter silence after that. Yugi still had his head turned towards the descending stairwell and Atem lost his voice, desperate to explain himself and what just happened but not knowing what to say. He didn't anticipate running into his ex girlfriend while he was on a date and he had no idea that she even worked there. Atem vehemently broke it off with her six months ago when she became too controlling and manipulative. But from what just happened, she didn't take the hint very well. She was coming back for more.

Yugi had his hands on the arms of his chair, elbows bent. He turned only halfway to look at Atem with a cold, outraged, yet despondent expression.

"Friend of yours?" he asked.

Atem opened his mouth to speak but couldn't find his voice. Of all the times that he desperately needed to explain himself, why did his voice decide to disappear now? Why dammit, why?

"Yugi, please let me explain – "

"I don't think you need to," Yugi interrupted, and before Atem could emit another sound, Yugi stood up from the table and walked back downstairs.

Atem followed and chased Yugi through the main lobby and out of the restaurant and to the front entrance, begging, pleading for him not to go, but Yugi kept going and ignoring everything that Atem was saying to him. He felt humiliated, hurt, and stupid, sitting there while some woman touched and felt all over his date and he did nothing to stop it. It made Yugi feel lower than low.

Before Yugi made a turn to the sidewalk, Atem grabbed his arm and wouldn't let up, despite Yugi tugging it away.

"Yugi, please don't leave. I swear, I didn't know that was going to happen. I promise you, there's nothing going on with me and that woman."

"Can you let my arm go?" Yugi asked, rather unemotionally. "I'd like to go home."

Atem swallowed hard. He wasn't even listening. "Yugi, please –"

"I said let me go!" Yugi cried and snatched his arm away from Atem's grip before walking away. He felt his eyes stinging as he crossed the road and didn't take long for him to realize that he was crying. Yugi felt even more pathetic now, shedding tears over someone he'd just met a week ago. He should've known better than to think he deserved someone like Atem. He was way out of Yugi's league.

Not surprisingly, after Yugi was a generous distance away from the restaurant, Atem called and texted him numerous times, with the same appeal: _Please come back Yugi, you didn't even give me a chance to explain, _or _We can make this work, she means nothing to me. _Yugi huffed sorely and rolled his eyes, wiping the tears from his face as he continued to walk down the streets of the suburbs of Neo Domino.

He'd never felt so used and stupid in his life. Yugi started to regret ever sleeping with Atem in the first place. It brought nothing but unwanted drama that he never asked for in the first place. Or maybe he did when he agreed to go home with him that night.

It would never happen again, though. From that moment on, Yugi decided that he needed to cut off all ties with Atem, it was too painful to have to compete for his attention with people far more attractive and appealing than he was. Changing his number and maybe banning him from coming to the casino altogether might be a start, but Yugi would have to pull some serious strings in order for that to take place. He couldn't stand the thought of Vivian putting her hands on Atem like that, as if she had the right to do such a thing. Yugi's blood boiled every time he thought about it.

Was he jealous? Scared of losing Atem to someone else? Yugi had no idea now. He'd never felt this way before and everything he was feeling was so alien to him and he needed to be alone to figure out his emotions.

But first he needed a lift. He was way too far from home to walk and he damn sure wasn't going to ask Atem for a ride. Yugi looked through the contacts in his phone and called Honda, the first person that he could think of. Hopefully, his best friend wouldn't ask him too many questions on the way to his apartment complex, mainly because Yugi didn't have the answers.

* * *

Check out the poll on my profile and vote on the next story you'd like to see written! :) there's 12 stories to choose from and I'm sure you guys will love all of the plots! Thanks for reading ❤


	7. Scary Confrontation

Honda was nervous when Otogi requested to see him, for plenty of reasons. It wasn't like his star employee to call him outside of work about something — whatever it was, it must have been important.

After leaving Yugi's place and dropping Joey and Anzu off, Honda headed towards Central Neo. He always hated coming up here because it was way too crowded for his liking. The city limits gave no leeway for a slower paced way of commuting, and it was seemingly overfilled with a bustle of taxicabs, cars, buses and pedestrians that filled the streets like hungry ants. The pungent stench of burned oil and gasoline polluted the airways, streaming away in wisps of toxicity. Traditional business districts and landscapes filled the avenues, as well as towering skyscrapers that seemed to reach the heavens on the outer barrier of the city. It was a modern day suburban metropolis, though the traces of its previous ancestry and heritage lingered on the outskirts of the city, partly for traditional and nostalgic purposes. Honda proceeded on through the temporarily empty pieces of road whenever possible, taking notice of the blanketing grey clouds hovering above the city streets, concealing the sun's radiant flare.

Honda received yet another text from Otogi, asking where he was. He seemed anxious. Maybe there was an emergency at work, which wouldn't surprise Honda, but he was going the opposite direction of the route to Casino Royale. Otogi had asked him to meet him just a little bit outside of Central, but wouldn't tell him why. It raised all kinds of questions in Honda's head. Since Otogi didn't ask him to come into work—he was off that day and so was Honda—it made the star chef feel even tenser that whatever Otogi up his sleeve might not have anything to do with work or food. Honda was already terrible at making small talk with the emerald-eyed man because he was simply just so gorgeous.

After stopping at a red light, Honda replied to his text telling Otogi to hold his damn horses. Otogi then vehemently stated that they would be late if he was any slower.

Honda's eyebrows quirked. Late for what exactly? His suspicions grew even higher when Otogi reported that he was hungry and needed a "companion" to join him at an Italian restaurant nearby. After giving Honda the address, he plugged it into his navigation system and followed the directions of the device.

The location wasn't that very far from his present coordinates. Honda pulled into a contemporary building held up by sturdy red brick walls with cascading French windows from the top floors to the bottom leading into a flowery garden perched right in the center of the lobby. Once Honda exited his car, he spotted Otogi near the entryway waving him down and beckoning him towards the building like an air traffic controller. As Honda approached his friend closer, he had to bite back the words "Damn!" as he did a onceover on Otogi's attire.

The ebony haired man sported a long sleeved indigo striped shirt, core beacon pants and black laceless sneakers from Nautica, along with a thin pair of eyeglasses that Honda definitely didn't remember seeing on Otogi's face before this day.

And speaking of his face, Otogi's lightly toasted brown skin ironed over his high cheekbones, made even less conspicuous when he pulled his thinly veiled fairly pink lips into a warm, hospitable beam when he locked gazes with Honda's own chestnut eyes. Otogi was thin, yet still somewhat lean with compact muscles fitting right where his sleek frame would allow. His clothes hugged his body just like a child would cling to his mother, outlining and shaping his defined and skilled physique even more. His ebony hair was pulled back in a ponytail at the base of his neck, with scarce bangs occupying the right side of his face.

Honda's face flushed with the fury of a thousand red tomatoes. He couldn't stop ogling at his friend and when Otogi caught him staring, he concealed his attraction with a nervous laugh.

"So why'd you drag me all the way to Central knowing how much I hate it here?" he asked, quickly changing the subject to dissuade attention away from his flushing cheeks.

"I know, traffic sucks ass up here, I'm sorry," said Otogi ruefully, awkwardly scratching his head. "But I heard about this Italian place from a casual friend of mine and I just had to check it out. I couldn't pass up the opportunity. But I didn't wanna go alone, hence why I called you."

"You dragged me all the way over here just to _eat_?" Honda scowled, feeling slightly scandalized after hearing that. Did Otogi not remember that they worked at their own restaurant where they had the privilege to eat there for free because Honda ran the damn place?

"I like Italian food," Otogi smirked nonchalantly and waved his hand defensively when he noticed Honda's unsettling appearance.

Honda raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Well," Otogi drawled, rubbing his chin and smirking as if he had some deviltry up his sleeve. "Torta Rustica."

"We can cook that at work," Honda droned, making a face. "Why do we have to come here?"

Otogi laughed at his boss' exasperated expression. "Must you question everything? I just wanted to get away for a while."

Honda didn't really understand why this restaurant of all places, but on the other hand, Neo didn't have too many authentic Italian bistros within the district, at least any that were endurable. So he wasn't too annoyed. Besides, being able to have Otogi to himself all night lifted his spirits right up.

After entering inside the vicinity, Honda noticed the orchestra of instruments playing atop a stage on the far right corner of the restaurant, and in between them and the ensemble of music were a plethora of business suits, ties and jackets attached to important looking people, sitting down at a rounded table with either a friend or loved one, enjoying a glass of chianti, or a garden salad with no blue cheese of course. The red wine carpet of the restaurant blended in with the shawls draping the stained glass windows on the far ends of the restaurant, with a hint of tint for sophistication. Barricades of waiters and waitresses flooded the zone like bees, catering to everyone's beck and call. One brushed past Honda and almost knocked him over before apologizing over and over again for his hastiness, especially when the waiter recognized Honda as the famous chef from Casino Royale. It reminded Honda of his own employees, treating him as if he were a quasi-god or something. It put him a little off to be quite honest.

"Shall we go sit down, or do you wanna soak up the spotlight a little more?" Otogi sniggered. He stood behind Honda with his chin within a hair length away from shoulder and he could get a strong whiff of Honda's _Curve Crush for Men_ cologne. Otogi couldn't deny the fact that his boss smelled nice, and looked nice for that matter, wearing a Nike classic fleece crew sweatshirt and faded denim jeans. If it weren't for the fact that Honda was a well-known chef around these parts, his attire would be unacceptable for such a classy setting.

"What, I was just looking around," Honda replied innocently. "But since you said you were hungry, I guess we can go eat."

He hadn't realized that Otogi was so close to him but when Honda turned his head, Otogi's enigmatic emerald eyes were the first thing his eyes made contact with. For a moment or two, Honda felt his legs going numb under him, and he sensed those soul searching spheres look into him as if he were transparent and vulnerable. It shook him from the inside out and Honda quickly turned around completely to face Otogi and regain his composure before his top employee noticed anything out of the ordinary.

"Uhhh…" Otogi panted, feeling a burning red spread across his face. "Let's go and find that table now. It's right over—OW!"

When Otogi turned back around to walk, he had collided with another human being— a woman wearing a leopard print chiffon tube dress and seemingly the same tint of ebony shaded locks. She had on sunglasses so Otogi nor Honda could see what color of eyes she bore. Something about this woman seemed so familiar. But she had exited the restaurant without so much as an apology for bumping into Otogi hard in the shoulder, and no one could get a good gander at what she looked like under those shades.

"Rude much?" Honda muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Tell me about it," said Otogi, brushing off his shoulders. "Didn't she look familiar to you though?"

"You took the words right outta my mouth," replied Honda, glancing back once more at the mystery lady strutting down the sidewalk, past the array of palm trees as if she was in a hurry to get somewhere without being seen. Oh well. It wasn't really worth dwelling on it for too long. And plus, it had taken the attention away from their dubiously awkward moment and Honda was thankful. He didn't know what he would do if he had to endure another one of those uncomfortable discussions—again.

The table that Otogi had reserved for them was near the back wall, adjacent to one of the marvelous windows with the cascading wine colored drapes down to the base. It housed a thinner white lace cover behind it, touching the decorative snow stained window, exhibiting the outside splendor that was Neo Domino. The two sat across from each other, immediately grabbing their menus to thwart off any more possible awkward moments between them that night. Honda didn't know how much more he could handle being around his handsome friend before he succumbed to his subconscious desires.

Otogi seemed to be as unnerved as he was, though. After all, their lips were centimeters away from uniting in an inadvertent kiss.

He began to nervously tap his foot, and his knee bumped against the table a few times. "So, ummm…." He began, voice shaky and uneven. "Have you decided what you wanted to eat?"

"What I want can't be found in this menu," Honda mumbled.

"Beg your pardon?"

"I mean!—" Honda spluttered trying to find the words. Did he just say that out loud? "I meant what I want can probably be found in this menu. Yeah! Yeah that's what I said."

He didn't sound very convincing. Honda appeared to be more on the twitchy side now. But Otogi didn't want to make the situation any more awkward than it was. After all, he was probably just as nervous.

Thankfully, they were approached by a waiter carrying a bottle of sparkling wine, two empty glasses, and a broad smile. Honda internally thanked this godsend for breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere.

"Good evening gentlemen, may I interest you in some our finest Prosecco?" the waiter asked cordially.

"Yes," both Honda and Otogi replied in unison. After a brief stare down, Honda averted towards the window and hid part his face behind his hands, which were propped up by his elbows. Otogi swallowed hard and offered the waiter a superficial smile until he walked away and left the two young men at their own leisure. Honda wished that he stayed a little while longer.

The evening was growing more and more cumbersome and Honda wondered how long he could keep this facade up. Going out to dinner with Otogi, he now contemplated, was a bad idea, especially since he was especially fond of him, maybe more than Honda thought. Furthermore, having a crush on his employee was very bad business and could potentially ruin his reputation as a professional. Honda couldn't afford to go soft now just because he couldn't keep his hormones in check.

He hadn't touched his wine. Otogi was already halfway done with his, most likely to take the rough edges off of his mood also. It made sense. Honda energetically took his glass and swallowed the entire contents of his beverage, feeling the warmth of the alcohol descend down his chest and into the bowels of his abdomen. Ahh that felt refreshing. Maybe a little liquid influence could turn the tables on this tense evening.

"I know something we can do," Otogi blurted out, breaking Honda out of his reverie. "Let's play a game."

"Sure," Honda mumbled with his lips still against his balled up fist. "What kinda game?"

"Well," Otogi reached into his pocket and pulled out a single dice. "Let's say whoever gets the lower number has to pay for dinner?"

Honda cackled. "You're the one who invited me here."

"So is that a no, then?" Otogi quizzed with a smirk. "I never knew my employer to back down from anything. Wait until the guys at work hear this on Monday."

"You wouldn't dare," replied Honda with a snort. He then leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms. "Roll the die."

"Before I do that, how about we up the ante a little?" Otogi challenged, pulling one side of his mouth into a cunning grin. "Loser not only has to pay for dinner, but does whatever the winner says for a week."

"Are you pulling my leg right now?" Honda queried. "We're not in high school anymore, dude."

"Another refusal, man that's two in a row. And here I was thinking you'd be fun to hang out with."

"I am fun," Honda countered defensively. "I just think it's a little childish."

"Or you're just afraid of what I'll make you do once I win," said Otogi, twiddling the dice in between his long digits. "What's wrong boss, did you leave your big boy undies at home?"

"No, I just didn't anticipate child's play in an atmosphere like this," Honda replied, scowling. Truth is, he didn't want to think about how far things would go if he had to do whatever Otogi said. The whole time they've been together, Honda felt some sort of unspoken attraction between them. He could practically smell the sexual tension. Honda didn't think that Otogi would go that far, but still…he didn't want things to get out of hand.

"We're just rolling a stupid die," Otogi sighed, rolling his eyes. "But whatever, since you're not up to it."

"Who's missing their big boy undies now?" Honda teased. "You've never given up on me that easily Otogi. I've known you to fight for what you wanted."

"I don't want to impose," his employee answered softly, avoiding Honda's chestnut stare.

Otogi sounded a little rejected, and for some odd reason, Honda found it cute. This little game he proposed appeared as though Otogi was reaching out for a connection other than just an employer with his employee. Maybe he wanted to be friends. It was a risky ordeal, but Honda couldn't deny Otogi's advances no further. He decided to take the harmless bait.

"Roll the die," he commanded.

"Wh-what?" Otogi stuttered. "I thought you didn't want to play."

"I changed my mind, now roll the die before the waiter comes back to take our orders," said Honda, haste evident in his voice. "Or I change my mind again."

Otogi started at him for a few seconds and shrugged, shaking the dice in a closed fist and then flicking his wrists when he opened his hand to release it.

"A six," Otogi huffed arrogantly. "Good luck trying to beat that. The best you can do is tie me."

"I know genius," Honda snapped bitterly with a slight chuckle. "Gimme the damn dice."

Otogi shrugged his shoulders indifferently and overlapped his lean, slender arms across his chest. A cocky smile pasted on the young cook's face when he saw the pang of nervousness in Honda's pretty chestnut pupils. Otogi was marveled at their luminosity.

Honda groaned when he only rolled a two. Otogi howled in a celebratory victory, drawing attention from the other customers in the restaurant.

"Keep your voice down crazy," Honda grimaced. "It's just a stupid bet."

"That you agreed on and now in turn have to fulfill now that you've lost," Otogi laughed, loving the scandalized glare on Honda's face. He knew how much his boss hated losing at anything.

Honda sighed and sat back in his seat. "Fine. I'll pay for dinner. It's not like I can't afford it. And what—" he swallowed hard thinking about the humiliating tasks that Otogi could possibly have him do. "—and what are you gonna have me do for you this week?"

"Next week," Otogi corrected. "And I haven't decided yet. But don't worry, it'll be a doozy."

"That's what I'm afraid of," Honda groaned, earning a belly laugh from Otogi when he buried his face in the crook of his elbow.

"Don't worry, it won't be anything too embarrassing," Otogi half lied, musing about all of the immature schemes that he could pull off. The possibilities were endless.

"It better not be because if it is—" Honda was cut short by the melodic ringing of his phone, vibrating inside his pocket. He jumped a bit as he reached inside to cease the annoying ringtone. "Excuse me, Otogi."

"Sure thing."

"Hello? Yugi? What in the world—aren't you supposed to be on a date?—Wait, what? Where are you? That's the same place I'm at—he did what? Wait, wait, slow down—Okay, okay, calm down, tell me where you—outside?" Honda glanced at Otogi who couldn't help but eavesdrop on his conversation with mild curiosity. It wasn't as though Honda excused himself from the table or anything.

"Okay, we'll be there in a heartbeat." When he hung up, he offered Otogi an apologetic look. "I'm afraid we'll have to take a rain check on this dinner. Yugi's in trouble."

"Is everything okay?" Otogi asked.

"I don't think so," Honda sighed, coming fingers through his brunette hair. "He sounded really upset, almost to the verge of tears. I don't know what happened but I guess Atem did something fucked up, I assume. But Yugi's outside."

"Let's go then."

Otogi lead the way to the exit. It took them a while to find Yugi because he had walked a ways down the street from the restaurant. In the car, Honda found his best friend walking alongside Domino City Park, in the outfit that Honda bought for him. When Yugi spotted Honda's BMW, his soft rounded face lit up a bit. He got in the backseat of the car behind Otogi.

Honda wasted no time interrogating. "Yugi what the hell happened?"

"Nothing," Yugi lied flatly. "I just wanna go home. Can you take me?"

"Well, sure," Honda muttered. "But you're supposed to be on a date Yugi. You know, the date that you were so excited about earlier tonight? The date with the guy that supposedly, you claimed to not even like—"

"You're right," Yugi interrupted. "I don't like him. This date was a mistake and I just want to go home and forget about it. And Honda, do me a favor."

"Yeah?"

"Don't encourage me to date ever again. Especially with a low life like Atem."

"Damn," Otogi interjected, making a face. "Was he really that bad?"

"Worse."

Yugi sighed despondently, looking down in his lap at the damp handkerchief in his hand, soaked with tears. He didn't want to admit to his friends that he'd been crying over someone he barely even knew, and worse than that, someone he seemed to only connect with on a sexual level. Yugi never wanted to base his relationships on sex. It seemed too risqué for his innocent standards. He just decided to cut his losses and keep his distance from Atem from that moment on. He wasn't about to endure another fucked up relationship again—not after what happened with Rebecca. His heart couldn't withstand anymore. And he knew he couldn't compete with someone like Vivian. She had more curves than a race track and a full set of lips to die for. Naturally Atem would pick her over Yugi. Of course he would.

And he felt stupid for falling for Atem's bullshit. Never again, Yugi decided. Never again.

The rest of the ride to Yugi's apartment was uncomfortably silent. After Honda and Otogi's attempts to get further information from Yugi failed, they gave up trying to probe. When Yugi was ready to talk, he'd talk.

"I'll see you guys at work," he droned when they reached his place and he stood on the doorstep. "Thanks for the ride."

"No problem little buddy," Honda smiled. "Are you sure you don't want some company?"

"Nah," Yugi declined shaking his head. "I'll be fine."

He watched Honda pass Otogi a dubious look before sighing and waving as he drove off. Yugi waved back until he could no longer see Honda's car in his vision. It's not as though he didn't trust his best friend with his problems and feelings, but Yugi himself was a bit confused on how he felt. What did Atem mean to him? Was he just a sex buddy? That's how this whole thing was supposed to be. Nothing but sex. No feelings.

So why was Yugi so jealous when he saw Vivian groping Atem right in front of him? And furthermore, why did Atem do nothing to stop it?

"Whatever. It doesn't matter anymore," he grumbled, unlocking the door to his apartment. It was dark and somewhat stuffy, but Yugi could see the outlines of his furniture in the near distance. He unbuttoned his dress shirt a little before turning around to close the door.

Before he could though, an unrecognizable stiletto heel barricaded its way in the doorway, making Yugi incapable of closing it. He jumped backwards out of fear and glanced up at the intruder. Yugi gasped sharply and felt waves of painful butterflies surge through his stomach. His heart pounded against his rib cage reverberating in his ears, and he suddenly couldn't feel his legs much less move them. He was frozen in shock and terror.

"Vivian!" Yugi screamed. "What are you doing here?"


	8. In Too Deep

This chapter contains a lemon between two **women.** Don't read if you're offended.

On with the show! :)

* * *

"_What am I doing here?" Vivian repeated, with a venomous glow in those almond colored pupils of hers. "I think you should know the answer to that…little one."_

_Yugi's jaw clenched. It was bad enough that he was accustomed to someone else calling him that, someone else that he now wanted nothing to do with from that day forward. And now he had the painful reminder of his past, throwing emotional daggers right in his face. Vivian was about as scary and intimidating as a poisonous viper stalking its prey. She had a reputation for being confrontational, manipulative, bitchy, competitive, condescending and down right slutty. She had no problems taking whatever—or whoever she wanted, no matter the person's relationship status or title. If it had a pair of testicles, it was fair game. And she had no problems stepping on other people's toes to get what she desired. No one would stand in her way and if they dare tried? Oh, little miss viper knew how to shut them down with her deadly poison. Vivian was not one to fuck with._

_Yugi gulped, feeling nothing but sandpaper in his throat, legs quivering from the intimidating glare honing down on him. He was never one for confrontations, especially ones that were unnecessary such as the one in front of him. He darted his eyes past Vivian, hoping that maybe, just maybe, for the sake of getting Vivian out of his apartment, that Atem was behind her. But Yugi had ceremoniously cut their relationship off at the head. So why would he be behind her? Wishful thinking perhaps?_

"_Actually, I don't," Yugi said barely above a squeak. If Vivian didn't know how afraid he was before, his voice sure told a tale of fear and apprehension. A dead giveaway._

"_Hmmm," Vivian hummed, as if she were musing something evil in that pretty little head of hers. Her invasive glare was sharp enough to cut through the thickest of skin. Her jet-black ebony hair gave her a resemblance of an Egyptian woman, long and feathery, oscillating freely from the wind's subtle ministrations. "I just came to ask you a little something Yugi, and I'm sure you know all about being…" she mockingly chuckled a bit before finishing her statement. "Little."_

_Yugi grimaced. He knew exactly what she was insinuating, but didn't want the already problematic situation to escalate just because he couldn't hold his tongue. He said nothing as Vivian's cold, emotionless eyes stared right into his, seemingly searching for a sign of weakness so that she could strike. But Yugi held his ground as long as he could. He didn't want her to see him for what he truly was inside. Just like a snake, she could attack when she sensed any hint of panic or angst. So Yugi tried his hardest to keep those feelings at bay._

"_Do you truly know Atem Sennen? I mean…_truly_ know him?"_

_Of course not. Yugi didn't even know that Sennen was his last name. He didn't recall Atem ever telling him, so that was a bad sign._

"_N-no," he stammered. "Nor do I want to anymore. You can have him."_

"_Oh?" This came as a surprise to Vivian. Maybe she didn't need to do what she came to do. But it would be fun to pull Yugi's leg for shits and giggles._

"_That's too bad," she sighed with a mock dejection. "He was really starting to like you."_

_Yugi quirked an eyebrow. "And how would you of all people know that?"_

"_Why wouldn't I?" she replied. "Atem and I used to be lovers."_

_That didn't really surprise Yugi, considering the shameless way she came right up to him and practically molested him in public for the whole world to see. He made a face at the memory. "That's cool," he muttered. "I don't really care."_

"_From the jealous stares you were giving me, I'm not too sure I believe you," Vivian hissed, closing the door behind her and cornering Yugi, backing him up until the back of his leg hit the sofa. He plopped down, falling over the arm, and gasped when Vivian stood above him, undressing his faux bravery with her eyes and exposing him for what he truly was. She wasn't stupid, she could see how frightened he was, and he should've been. Vivian was not a force to be reckoned with._

"_Either way," Yugi replied, inhaling deeply, "Being his former lover is no grounds for Atem telling you about his current affairs."_

"_But being friends is," said Vivian, glaring with such a vile indignation that Yugi felt a cold shiver take him over. "I'm guessing since you went to dinner with him, that means he's already been in your pants right?"_

"_Excuse me?—"_

"_Don't play dumb with me child," Vivian interrupted with a hiss. "That's always been Atem's game. He meets someone at a club, gets them drunk, takes them home to his condo and fucks them senseless, then he pretends to have feelings for them by taking them out to dinner afterwards. But really, he's just trying to ride the horse until he gets tired of it. Then he moves on to someone else."_

_Yugi's face resembled that of a ghost. As much as he hated to admit, that's exactly how things went with Atem, word for word as Vivian described. He felt so stupid for falling for all of it. The wining, the dining, actually believing that Atem was genuinely interested in him when he lost that bet at the casino—it was all bullshit. His stomach churned and he felt the presence of bile build up in his esophagus. Yugi swallowed the feeling of worthlessness down his throat, and at the same time trying to shake away the feeling of stupidity and shame. He knew better than this. Why was it so easy to fall into Atem's grasp? Was he really that emotionally and sexually deprived that he gave his attention to anyone that showed interest?_

"_Don't feel bad Yugi," Vivian suddenly mumbled, shaking his meditation. "You're not the first person that Atem has fooled. And you won't be the last."_

"_Why—" Yugi gulped. "Why are you telling me this? I thought you wanted Atem for yourself."_

"_True."_

_And without warning, Vivian straddled Yugi, pinning his shoulders down on the sofa so that he couldn't move, and gazed hard into his widened amethyst pupils, bloodshot and full of what she understood to be pure terror. She could respect the fact that somebody recognized her reputation as a bad bitch, one that wasn't to be fucked with. But respectful or not, Yugi claimed her territory and she wasn't giving it up without a fight._

_She laughed before speaking again. "Do you even get hard Yugi? I can barely feel a bulge in those tight ass pants of yours."_

_Against his will, a scarlet blush made itself across Yugi's cheeks. It was enough that she trespassed into his home, but now he had to have his manhood questioned? This was too much._

"_I'll take that as a no." Vivian's weight bared down on Yugi and he grunted when she completely laid over him. _

"_Can you…get off, maybe?" he groaned. He was pretty sure that Vivian knew by now that he wasn't even remotely interested in women. So what the hell was she up to?_

"_I just wanted to see if you were as fully endowed as Atem claimed you were. It's a shame that I'm gonna have to tell him otherwise," she giggled._

"_That does it!" Yugi yelled, hearing all that he would endure from this woman. He mustered all of his might to push Vivian away from him and out of his apartment. He was already tired anyway from the "date" earlier, or lack thereof, and he needed some alone time. She wasn't helping matters at all by this home invasion._

_When he tried to distance himself again, Vivian twisted her face up in an ugly scowl, almost resembling the wicked witch of the west. Yugi gasped and immediately backed up towards the kitchen, and of course Vivian followed suit. Yugi dare not turn his back on her because who knew what she would try. He saw both sides of the kitchen door in the corner of his eyes, but at the same time not taking them off of her. He mentally cringed at her vexed and menacing expressions, hot enough to melt butter but cold enough to give Jack Frost a run for his money. Yugi felt the cold slab of metal hit his back and he cursed. He'd ran out of room to escape and pretty soon, Vivian was right in his vicinity, blowing air in his face like a fire breathing dragon. Yugi made a face, absent mindedly, and shut his eyes, praying, begging for this to be a dream. He could dare say that he'd rather deal with Atem's nonsense right now than Vivian, even all things considered. Yugi would have to decide at a later date whether or not Vivian was telling the truth about him._

_He felt her shadow towering over him like a skyscraper. That was probably the worse part. Though closing his eyes and wishing her to vanish into thin air was a bit juvenile, Yugi felt that was his only option. He fingers had conveniently gone stupid and suddenly didn't know how to maneuver themselves around the doorknob to unlock and open it. Dammit. Why was this woman's glaring hypnotizing him like a cobra that had him under her paralyzing spell? His fear stiffened him up like a newly deceased body being dropped off at the morgue. Those almond irises examined him, gave him a onceover, looked him up and down as though he was a biology experiment. Yugi's breath tethered and the sudden inhale hurt his chest, still afraid to open his eyes to see what he was confronted with. It would matter not to Vivian. Though Yugi's eyes were closed, his ears damn sure weren't._

"_I think I can see why you were so easily fooled by someone like Atem," she whispered so seductively, Yugi couldn't decide whether to be aroused or appalled. "I mean look at you. You're still wet behind the ears. You know next to nothing about the game of love. You're about a buck ten soaking wet. And you look like a baby. It's no wonder that someone like you was so easy to manipulate. It's almost paradigmatic."_

_Since when did Vivian have such a big vocabulary?_

_She pressed on with such satire in her tone. "My advice to you little Yugi? Leave the adult games for the big kids. If you're still wondering which hole to put it in, you don't need to be fucking around with someone like Atem. So do me a favor and stay away from him. Which . . . I won't have to worry about you disobeying since you already said you wanted nothing to do with him. I trust that you'll keep your word. Because if we have to have this conversation again, I won't be so ladylike. Do we have an understanding, Yugi Muto?"_

_By this time, Yugi's eyelids were as wide as the Grand Canyon. His face went ghostly pale once again, being confronted with a hateful pair of light brown retinas that could commit murder if it were possible. He vaguely noticed the wavy pattern of lines on Vivian's forehead, indicating that she was glaring pretty damn hard at him and she incorporated all of her facial muscles to do so. Yugi could practically read the contempt in her wrinkles._

_Cherry red lips pursed into an evil grin after she warranted no response from her adversary, mainly because she knew he was scared shitless. She counted on Yugi's quickness to cower to her advantage, not to mention his spineless attempts at defending himself to work in her favor. She'd known him long enough at the Casino Royale to know that he'd never been in a squabble before in his life because Joey fought most of his battles for him. It would've been cake to thwart this little twerp away from her man candy._

_She finally stood fully erect and adjusted her dress, grabbing at her breasts as if it were protocol. After licking her lips, she patted Yugi on the head contemptuously. "Now that we have an understanding, I'll leave you to your leisure. Have a wonderful weekend, and I'll see you bright and early Monday morning!" her voice was so damned pretentious it made Yugi even more sick to his stomach. The audacity, the gall for her to just waltz right up to his apartment, without even knocking or asking to come in, making accusations and throwing insults and the threats were the icing on the cake. For what though? A piece of ass that Yugi didn't even want anymore? It was asinine. They can get hitched in the Neo Domino Chapel for all he cared._

But that incident was two weeks ago. Yugi sat at his blackjack table at work, dealing cards and taking bets from the patrons, not really conscious of what he was supposed to be doing. There was too much on his mind without having to deal with people on a regular basis. Luckily for him, his customers were rarely invasive, so he didn't count on them trying to probe him for answers as his emotions were probably written all over his face.

He was also fortunate in the fact that Atem hadn't made any unwelcomed visits to his place of employment nor had he his name popped up on Yugi's phone since their last date. It gave Yugi some breathing room, but a strange part of him still wondered what would've happened of Vivian hadn't shown up on their date.

Speaking of which, the cunning little diva had also been missing in action since her ground shaking performance at Yugi's place two weeks ago. The dance studio that she worked in was literally on the other side of the whole casino from where he worked and unless there was a dance number that night, Yugi would never even know that she was there. It was a bit surprising, especially since her threats were so foreboding and downright ugly but Yugi was thankful. Too much was taking place in one night and he didn't know how much more he could endure.

But why did Yugi feel so empty inside? Even after what Vivian told him, why did he still feel the need to . . . want Atem? _Want him?_ Yugi made a face at the revelation. Why would he want someone who only wanted _him_ for his body? Or at least that's how it seemed. He couldn't recall one conversation that he had with Atem that didn't involve sex. And that heated argument they had before their date didn't count. Atem was obviously chasing his dick, otherwise he would've have tried so hard. And if he wasn't why was sex the only this spewing out of his mouth that night?

"Sir? Do you mind dealing our cards please?"

His reverie was interrupted by an older, higher classed woman who placed the most black chips on the table, so naturally she was the one to speak up. Her coke-bottled frames housed a pair of angry and impatient eyes, unsympathetic to whatever Yugi may be musing over, because there was money to be won. After offering an apology to her and the rest of the customers at the table, he dealt the cards and continued his regimen.

Without fail, the old woman won the bet.

It didn't matter any to Yugi who won, his mind was in a completely different place entirely. A large part of him still pondered on whether or not he should even cut Atem off completely. On one hand, he was a regular Don Juan that resembled that of a picturesque statue, with eyes like Medusa that could turn any man hard, his solid body devoid of any flaws or blemished, as if his dense muscles and delicious caramel skin were any clue. Yugi couldn't help but love the way Atem chased him, though it were times that it was unnerving—showing up at someone's job was a bit much—Atem's tenacity couldn't be denied. Yugi secretly did love being chased…being wanted. No one had ever pursued him that hard before. If Yugi had to be honest, he missed that feeling of someone paying attention to him and only him. It was a shame however that this potential fairytale had to abruptly come to and end by a wicked stepmother. And as much as Vivian's words cut deep, she was telling the truth about one thing—he didn't know Atem. At all. Every time they spoke, the conversation had included something about sex or going out to dinner. It held no substance whatsoever. So maybe the crazy bitch was right. Maybe Atem was just using Yugi to get in his pants.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Otogi approached him. Yugi spun his head around at the man with the emerald eyes, almost hitting him in the face when he screamed, "What?!" as his right arm flung around with the rest of his body. Otogi reflexed quickly and took a giant step back once he saw Yugi's entire body convulse as if he were part of an exorcism gone wrong.

"Sorry man, it's just me," he treaded with caution.

"Otogi," Yugi choked back. "I'm sorry, I thought you were…" his voice trailed off.

Otogi noticed the frown on his friend's face and he reconsidered not even telling Yugi why he was there. It might ruin his day even more.

"No, no it's fine," Otogi insisted. "I can come back later if you—"

"No please don't. I'm just a little under the weather." It wasn't a complete lie. "What's going on?"

Otogi hesitated. That made Yugi's heart thump. "Um…well?"

"Yeah?"

"There's…." Otogi stretched the last letter of the word. "Someone here to see you."

Yugi made a disparaging face. He already knew who it was. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Hey, don't kill the messenger," Otogi replied holding out his hands for defense. "I was just told to come send for you."

"Send for me," Yugi echoed distastefully. "I'm not a child. And if that's who I think it is, have security throw him out of here. I'm not in the mood to be harassed at work _again._"

"Aye, aye captain," said Otogi with a farewell gesture with his thumb, index and middle finger. Yugi took in a few deep breaths as he watched his coworker stalk off back towards the restaurant. In the distance though, Yugi knew that Atem would be sitting at the bar talking to Joey, inquiring his whereabouts. The asshole just couldn't take a damn hint. Well unlike the last time, he wasn't about to trap Yugi into another stupid date. He had a backup plan for such an occasion as this.

And almost on cue, he noticed Atem coming his way, charging at him like a raging, horny bull.

Yugi kept his cool though. He dealt another round of cards, all the while feeling Atem's aura come closer and closer into his personal bubble. It was annoying to say the least, but Yugi didn't want to acknowledge the jerkoff one bit. And if something did happen, well security would throw his ass out.

Yugi kept his head and his mind on his work. Just like last time, Atem sat to his immediate right and Yugi couldn't see his full attire but he did notice Atem wearing a navy blue and white striped tourmaline tank from Hollister. He'd been there enough times to notice where it came from. Of course the asshole would wear something that would arrogantly show off those damned hard ass muscles that would make Yugi melt like butter once he laid eyes on them. Fuck. Why did Atem have to be such a babe?

Yugi could literally feel Atem's ruby reds boring an invasive hole into him, undressing him with his perverse eyes, reminiscing that first night that they met and went home together and how he made Yugi scream like a banshee. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Yugi hated that it went that far. The fact that he allowed someone to come inside him so quickly, and all it took was a few shots of alcohol. Did he really have no self-respect?

He glared down at the table, absolutely refusing to look up at the man who seemed to have his heart and his soul in the palm of his hand. Yugi felt his throat tighten, probably from anger, he wasn't sure. But it was beginning to become painfully obvious that Atem was never going to leave him alone until he got what he wanted from Yugi. What that was, he didn't know but he had a few ideas.

The worst, and the most annoying thing about Atem sitting there next to him was, he wasn't saying a word. Yugi was growing more and more anxious by the second and he was dying to look the man in the face to discover what kind of countenance he bore, but his pride told him to stand his ground. No way was Atem going to break him this time.

_Say something, dammit,_ Yugi grimaced mentally. It was actually better when Atem was spewing off at the mouth talking shit. Just sitting there was driving Yugi insane.

But maybe that's why he was doing it. Cheeky bastard.

Stupidly, Yugi took a glance over at Atem—just for a millisecond but that was all it took for the butterflies to gather in his stomach again. Atem flashed him a sexy, confident smile—of course he did—and Yugi turned his head sharply to hide his blush. It was like déjà vu all over again. Fuck this arrogant, cocky, brash, stubborn, gorgeous, sexy, perfect asshole. It wasn't fair that he had this paralyzing hold on Yugi and Yugi didn't have any type of effect on him. In fact, it was so unfair that it was starting to piss Yugi off. Without warning, he got up from his seat and walked toward the back of the casino. Of course Atem followed him.

His pace was a little quicker than normal. Yugi kept his eyes straight ahead, ignoring the confused looks of the fellow blackjack and other various game hosts who knew that he was supposed to be working at his table. But it was impossible when a handsome lunatic was stalking him.

Despite his brisk tread, Atem was on him like white on rice. Yugi _felt_ him push up on him from behind and it made his skin crawl. Atem then boldly pushed Yugi's sun kissed bangs behind his ear and replaced them with his plush, supple lips.

"I believe you still owe me a date little one."

His low baritones made Yugi almost want to moan. The entire room suddenly felt chilly as hell and he began to shaky involuntarily. Atem noticed this and rubbed Yugi's arms up and down and at the same time, nuzzling his face against the back of his neck.

Why was he letting Atem do this? Yugi seemingly had no willpower against this man.

"Please…."

Fuck. That did it. Yugi was just a hair length away from tackling Atem to the floor and fucking his brains out. He almost started not to care about anything anymore.

That is until he locked eyes with Vivian.

Ensnared in her wild, enigmatic yet vengeful scrutiny, her words from two weeks ago made themselves back into Yugi's memory. The same memory that he attempted to repress after that night.

"_He's just trying to ride the horse until he gets tired of it. Then he moves on to someone else."_

Yugi seethed, watching Vivian strut down the lobby and into the dance room, swaying her hips because she knew Atem and Yugi had spotted her. When she disappeared, Yugi took it upon himself to walk towards the women's restroom. He had hoped that Atem wouldn't be desperate enough to follow suit.

"Yugi, wait, where are you going?" he called from across the room.

"Somewhere where I know you won't follow me," Yugi replied with a scowl. He pushed the revolving door inward, ignoring the screams from the girls inside as they ran out, assuming that Yugi was some pervert or something. Please. The last thing he was thinking about was pussy right now.

Anzu was startled to see Yugi walk in somewhere he wasn't allowed, nor did he seem to care about getting kicked out or worse, reprimanded by Pegasus. He'd been acting strange for the past two weeks but nobody could seem to get Yugi to talk. But this behavior here was even stranger.

She was standing at the rectangular mirrors at the sink under the dimly lit sapphire blue light applying lipstick, staring at her best friend take refuge on a navy blue couch, thick with plush fabric and embroidered stitching. Yugi lay down clutching a pillow against his chest, sighing as though he were tired, but he'd only been at work for about two hours. Anzu approached him cautiously.

"Is everything okay Yugi?" she asked sheepishly.

"Do I look okay?" he frowned, looking at her sideways.

"I guess not if you have to hide out in the girls' restroom and risk getting in trouble," she snickered, sitting beside him. She noticed that his hair was in his face and she brushed it back for him. Yugi flinched a bit at the sudden contact but didn't resist it. He could use a friend right now.

"You wanna talk about what's bothering you?" Anzu queried, semi stroking his hair for comfort.

"Not really," Yugi confessed, enjoying the sensation that ran through his skin as Anzu played with his locks. "I wouldn't even know where to begin anyways."

"How about at the beginning?" she suggested. "That always works."

Yugi hummed. He really didn't want to tell her about Vivian, especially since they worked so close together and he didn't know if they were friends or not. Though Yugi would question Anzu's intelligence if she were, considering Vivian's firecracker personality.

"I guess I can start at the simple fact that there's an attractive stranger who chases me relentlessly," said Yugi with a slight snigger. All things considered, Atem still managed to take his breath away with his sheer beauty.

"Is it that same guy that you went home with a couple of weeks ago at the club?"

"Uh huh," Yugi deadpanned, still having that amazing night fresh in his mind. He couldn't lie, Atem had him reaching higher notes than a woman singing soprano. He touched Yugi in places that he didn't even know existed. It was no wonder the man kept coming back for more, but Yugi wasn't sure if he could handle having a sexual relationship with someone like Atem without getting emotionally attached.

Not to mention the fact that everyone in Neo Domino was chasing his dick.

"So what happened? He seemed nice enough," asked Anzu.

"People aren't what they seem," Yugi refuted. "I shouldn't have slept with him in the first place. If I didn't he wouldn't be stalking me right now."

"Stalking, or pursuing? There's a difference Yugi," Anzu giggled. "Stalking would be following you literally everywhere you went, whether it be the grocery store, gym, flea market, out of town vacations—if that happens then you definitely need to get the police involved. However this guy…" she paused. "This guy only comes to your job to talk to you. Does he continue to harass him once you tell him to leave?"

"Here's the thing though Anzu," Yugi countered, now sitting upward because the conversation was getting interesting. "When we were on our date two weeks ago and I left, that should've been the end of it. But the guy never gives up. It's like he's obsessed with me or he's hell bent on getting into my pants again. I don't get it. I wasn't even that good in bed."

Anzu couldn't help but laugh, not necessarily at what Yugi said, but how he said it. He was so animated whenever Atem's name came out of his mouth, like he was simultaneously marveled and detested at him for everything that's been going on with them lately.

"Let me ask you this Yugi. Do you even like him?"

Yugi actually had to think about that. Sure Atem was hotter than a sauna but he couldn't deal with the fact that other people were chasing his dick like flies on syrup. Yugi didn't like competition, especially over someone that was already supposedly his.

But still. He wasn't a very good liar. "Of course I do. I'm just not good at letting my guard down and allowing someone in. And I think I already sunk that ship when I got into bed with him."

"You let him inside your body Yugi, not inside your heart," Anzu said somewhat motherly. She giggled again when she saw the scarlet blush across his cheeks. She wrapped her arm around him as consolation. "As far as I'm concerned you guys still know next to nothing about each other. Maybe if you go out on another date with him, set some boundaries. No mention of sex at all, not even one innuendo. Just talk about something else, anything else. If he's truly chasing your heart then he won't have anything to hide."

"I don't even know if I want to go out with him again," Yugi whined, leaning into Anzu's embrace.

"And why is that?"

Oh that's right. Yugi hadn't mentioned Vivian yet, and he really didn't want to drive a wedge in between coworkers, especially one that worked so close to Anzu.

"I'm just not…feeling anything for him other than sexual, if you really want to know the truth," he half lied.

"I'm shocked. This isn't the Yugi Muto I grew up with. What about wanting a real relationship with someone you care about?"

"And I do still want that. I just don't know if I'm much compatible with a bachelor like Atem Sennen. He just seems like a playboy, someone you fuck around with but would never seriously settle down with because you know he's eligible to be snatched up easily by someone else because he's in such high demand. I want someone exclusive and well…he's not it."

"But you just told me that you liked him. I don't get it."

"I like what's inside of his pants," Yugi said boldly. Damn, when did he start thinking like a slut?

"In other words, you're too afraid of this guy hurting you, so you put up a front and act like you don't care. You wouldn't be in this restroom if you didn't. I know you better than that Yugi," Anzu scolded, squeezing his shoulder, glaring sapphire eyes meeting his evasive amethyst ones. She always could see through Yugi's ruse. And plus, his eyes always dilated whenever he lied not to mention his entire jawline turned completely red. It was a dead giveaway. "Keep your story straight."

"Okay, okay fine. I just don't want this to end up like another Rebecca episode. I'd never be able to live it down," Yugi muttered, shaking the gaze and looking down at the marble floor. "With all of the women that chase Atem, I'm sure he feels the same way."

"Like who?"

Yugi really didn't want to mention Vivian's name, so he didn't. "Like anyone," he replied coolly. "I don't know who he hangs around."

"But if he wanted just you then it wouldn't matter. He wouldn't even look at anyone else. Can you at least agree on that?" Anzu asked. Her motherly gaze was beginning to make Yugi feel somewhat like a child, because he should know this stuff already.

"Hence why he keeps chasing me I guess," he muttered. "But I still don't understand. We've done nothing worth remembering outside of the bedroom. No one hounds someone this much just for sex."

"Shouldn't that be a sign then that he actually likes you? Maybe he sees something differently in you that he's never saw or experienced with anyone else," said Anzu with somewhat of a gleam in her eyes. She seemed almost excited that Yugi finally found someone who could possibly make him happy—if only he weren't so stubborn.

"That must be it because like I said, it ain't my bedroom skills."

She had to laugh at that. At least Yugi was cheering up a bit. "It was only your first time. I'm sure your other times will be better."

"If there's another time," Yugi corrected, grimacing a little. With the way things were going, Atem's bedroom was probably the furthest thing from his reach. He wasn't even going to attempt that route even if he wanted to. "How was your first time, Anzu?"

"Oh…" now it was Anzu's turn to blush. Yugi's question caught her off guard but they were best friends so the question wasn't too inappropriate. "It was with a guy." She somewhat scowled at the memory. "He wasn't gentle at all even though he knew I was a virgin, but all he cared about was getting his fill and leaving. Only I didn't know that because he was my boyfriend and I thought he actually cared about me. That's why I'm gay now."

Yugi made a face. "Because of one bad experience?"

"Look who's talking," she teased, tousling his locks. "Didn't you swear off vagina for the same reason?"

"No," Yugi pouted. "I swore off vagina because I prefer penis better. Why do you think it didn't work out with Rebecca?"

"Because you secretly liked dick," Anzu said, her reply sounding like a statement more than a question.

"Yeah and it took one disaster date to bring it out of me," he deadpanned, sighing. "What am I gonna do about this guy?"

"Well hell if you don't know, how do you expect me to?" Anzu said, quirking an eyebrow. "Your affairs confuse the hell outta me Yugi."

"Who you tellin?" Yugi chuckled. "If I'm not half naked in a dumpster somewhere in Downtown Neo, I'm getting stalked at my job. What's next?"

"Arranged marriage?" she straightened her face when Yugi didn't laugh. "Maybe third time's a charm," she muttered, patting him on the shoulder. "We can only hope."

"If this doesn't work out, I'm not even sure I wanna try for a third time. One can only take so much," Yugi half chuckled, half sighed. He truly felt that way though. This emotional roller coaster with Atem was taking out all the joy of even wanting to look for something else. It was physically exhausting trying to thwart him off every single time that it didn't work out. Yugi didn't know how much longer he'd be able to resist this man. How could anyone?

"Stay positive," said Anzu with a grin. "There's someone out there for every one of us. It's just that sometimes the way they come into our lives is a bit unconventional."

"My situation with Atem would be the perfect example," Yugi muttered bitterly. This conversation with Anzu was a bit helpful but it left him with even more questions than answers. And they couldn't talk forever because he had to get back to work and Atem was probably out there waiting for him. Yugi groaned at the thought because he didn't know how much longer he'd be able to resist the sexy stallion. It wasn't fair dammit. Why did Atem seemingly have him under his paralyzing spell?

A small percent of him liked the attention though. Maybe it was his ego, but the fact that no matter what Yugi did or said, Atem just kept on coming back made his confidence raise just a tad. But Yugi was still on debate about Atem's intentions.

The swinging door burst open and Miho spotted the two sitting on the couch. She huffed and walked over towards Anzu and grabbed her hand.

"There you are!" she exclaimed, looking somewhat panicky. "I've been looking all over for you. I need help on this dance move, and I don't feel comfortable asking anyone else."

Anzu stood up, trying really hard not to eyeball Miho in the chest area. It was becoming increasingly difficult not to stare at her body and it didn't help matters much that she always wore low cut shirts to work. "I'm sorry, I was talking to my friend Yugi," she said ruefully. "Yugi, this is Miho. Miho, my best friend Yugi."

Yugi noticed how Anzu's behavior changed once Miho entered the restroom. She seemed more nervous and on edge once she approached them. He stood up to shake Miho's hand and he couldn't help but notice Anzu blushing the entire time. It didn't take Yugi long to figure out what was going on. Anzu had a full blown crush on the girl.

Yugi grinned mischievously. He knew what to do.

"Well I'm going to leave you ladies here, as I myself need to get back to work. Anzu, I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, yeah," she drawled, trying to hide her flushing red cheeks. She glared at Yugi when he couldn't stop his stupid grinning. When he exited the restroom, there was an awkward silence.

"What was he doing in the girl's restroom?" Miho finally asked. "Identity crisis?"

"No, no," Anzu sniggered, covering her mouth. "We were just having a girl talk."

"Girl talk?" Miho echoed. "I'm guessing your friend is gay?"

"That he is," Anzu sighed with a smile. "So what did you need help on Miho dear?"

Miho blushed at the subtle compliment. "Well like I said, I just needed some help on a number that I'm having trouble mastering. Do you mind coming down to the studio and helping me? I don't think anyone's down there yet."

"Sure, let's go."

The studio was empty as Miho said; not even Mai was around. The only sound emitted throughout the room was the clicks of Anzu and Miho's stiletto heels hitting the polished wooden floor. When they approached the middle, Miho removed her black long sleeved cardigan and Anzu gulped when she discovered that all Miho had on underneath was a sequin camo bandeau bra. Her breasts practically jumped out at Anzu and she literally had to turn her entire self the opposite way to keep from staring so much. She faced the mirror and walked over to the stretch bar so warm up and Miho followed.

This was going to be hard. Miho looked hotter than ever and Anzu still didn't know what dance number she needed help on. Whatever it was, Anzu was hoping it didn't involve much physical contact because she didn't know how long she could hold back before attacking Miho with endless kisses all over her body.

But Anzu tried to remain professional.

"So let's get started before everyone else shows up," she suggested. She approached Miho cautiously while she was still stretching, blushing like a schoolgirl when Miho stood up fully erect and at eye level. Her indigo eyes stared right into hers and Anzu felt her insides tremor like an earthquake.

"Okay so," Miho began to say, taking Anzu to the center floor. "You know during the Bonnie and Clyde routine where we have to do a full split on the floor and then take our right leg and bring it over to our left in a matter of seconds?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm having trouble with my timing and you always seem to do it perfectly. Can you show me how?"

Great. Anzu knew this would require a bit of touching, but she could tell that Miho wanted to do well and not let the other members of the team down.

"Okay," she said taking a deep breath. "The reason your timing is off is because you probably put all of your weight down on the floor and on your legs when you hit a split. They key is to not do that. Keep yourself up a little by putting a bit of weight on your hands, that way when it's time to get up, all you have to do is push yourself off instead of struggling. And also, you kind of have to time yourself ahead of the music so that your moves can be in sync with everyone else if you're too slow."

"Okay, show me how you do it then," Miho said.

"Fine, stand over here." Anzu brought Miho a little to the side to give herself some extra room. "When I give you the cue, turn on the music." She loosened herself up a little in front of the mirror before giving Miho the okay to play the tape.

Anzu decided to go through the entire routine just for practice. She gyrated her hips to the rhythm and tempo of the song, gracefully pliéd on her toes like a ballerina as her chestnut hair oscillated in the wind and then grinding and popping her hips during the faster upbeats of the music. Miho stared hard at Anzu's slim and athletic body, so entranced by the way she moved her hips and ass, turning and graciously falling as the routine required and soon Miho had forgotten that she was even supposed to be paying attention to the detail. Anzu's movements were seductive and hypnotic. Her mouth watered and eyes dilated, not to mention Miho's heartbeat picked up speed as she felt the lid keeping her hormones under wraps had now been uncapped. Anzu continued to move to the rhythm of the beat until she got to the climax.

"Okay Miho, pay very close attention here," she commanded breathlessly. She stopped for a quick second and observed Miho staring a little too hard at her and it made Anzu lose her concentration. When she went to go perform the split that Miho needed help on, the sudden increase of volume of the music plus the hardened stares she was getting from Miho threw her off balance. After spinning on her heel, Anzu tripped and fell on the floor when she felt her ankle being twisted and she screamed out in pain as her body hit the ground with a hard thud. Miho immediately ran to her aid after turning off the music, examining her up and down until the found the source of Anzu's pain.

"My ankle!" she cried, sitting upward, fighting back tears and feeling overwhelmingly pulsating throbs run through her leg like a power surge. She cursed as her ankle seemed to swell with each passing second and Miho felt tremendous guilt over the whole thing.

"Anzu, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have asked you to show me that move. I didn't mean for this to happen—"

"No, no it's not your fault. I was being an idiot," Anzu interjected. She tried to rub her ankle but Miho cut her off.

"No don't touch it, it seems to be sprained. This is all my fault. Oh God, I'm so sorry about this. Please don't hate me Anzu."

Miho seemed to be on the verge of tears but she couldn't help but feel like this wouldn't have happened if she hadn't asked Anzu to help her to begin with.

"Miho! Stop blaming yourself okay? I'm the one who screwed up, not you. Do you mind getting me a bag of ice and two chairs to sit on and prop up my leg? Pretty please?"

She did as Anzu requested, still feeling incredibly remorseful about the whole ordeal, but she wanted to make it up to her. Miho set the chairs up on the back wall, placing the bag of ice on her ankle and hearing the satisfied hiss from Anzu's lips afterwards. She leaned her head back against the wall and tried to relax as she still felt her ankle throbbing relentlessly. Miho watched her and felt weird about the subtle urges to kiss Anzu's neck, considering what had just happened. So she tried to ignore it.

"Is the ice helping at all?" she asked feebly.

"A little."

Anzu suddenly felt this strong desire to be hugged but she didn't want Miho to think she was immature so she kept her thoughts to herself. She didn't even understand where this abrupt vulnerability came from. Maybe the pulsating thumps running through her ankle rendered her helpless.

"I'm still really sorry, Anzu," Miho sighed despondently. "I know you said it's not my fault but—"

"It's okay, it's okay Miho. Really. Come here."

Anzu opened her arms, extending them while Miho walked over to her, and then bent down to hug her. Against better judgment, Anzu stood up on her uninjured ankle and wrapped her arms around Miho's neck.

"Anzu no wait, you need to sit back down," she insisted. "I don't want you to hurt yourself even more because of me."

"It's fine," Anzu replied coolly, feeling butterflies in her stomach when she pressed her body together with Miho's. She hopped on one foot backwards until she felt the wall and Miho grunted slightly at the contact. Her heart rate increased when Anzu pressed her chest against hers, and the hug seemed longer than expected, not that Miho was complaining, but if Anzu held onto her any longer, she was sure to lose all her composure.

But Anzu wouldn't let go. She weaved her fingers through Miho's hair and massaged her scalp, while slithering her other hand down the side of Miho's body until she reached her ass and squeezed.

Miho gasped. "Anzu, what are you—"

"Shhhh…." She cooed. "Just relax."

"Anzu," Miho drawled once she made eye contact with her, noticing the lust in her sapphire eyes, ravenous for her. "What's gotten into you?"

"You," said Anzu, closing the gap between their faces. "I'm sorry Miho, but I have to do this…"

Miho was drawn in, spellbound by Anzu's suggestive words and tantalizing ministrations and before she knew it, their lips pressed together rather firmly and Miho closed her eyes to savor the moment. She pushed her body against Anzu's a little harder against the wall and she felt Anzu moan against her mouth as her hips was pinned against the concrete, slipping her hand down the back of Miho's leggings and squeezing her ass again. Anzu then took her other hand and did the same while coaxing her tongue inside of Miho's mouth and sucking in her skin, gasping for air in between kisses and rubbing Miho's backside.

"God…" she moaned when Miho broke the kiss and began nibbling on her neck. Anzu tilted her head backwards and hummed, rubbing her hands up and down the back of Miho's thigh and buttocks, pushing her hips against hers feeling an electrifying sensation between her legs. Miho sucked down on her neck harder and Anzu uttered a surprised moan and hissed with clenched teeth, not being able to handle all of the foreplay any longer.

"I wanna fuck," said Anzu right into Miho's ear and she felt Miho's body shiver against hers. Once she heard that, she looked into Anzu's bedroom eyes and slowly lowered to the floor, being mindful of Anzu's sprained ankle. Miho pulled Anzu on top of her with her arms wrapped around her hips in a firm fashion.

"So fuck me…." She drawled, licking her lips and unfastening Anzu's bra from behind after lifting her shift off. It took a little more time than usual to take off her pants because of her ankle but once she was completely naked, Miho flipped herself on top of Anzu where she then removed her own clothing. Anzu's eyes widened and couldn't help but grab Miho's chest, shamelessly groping and massaging her breasts while Miho guided her hands across her and then up and down in slow motion.

"So beautiful. Perfect," Anzu whispered, earning another delicious kiss from Miho. She was sitting upright on top of her and Anzu couldn't stand the space between their bodies.

She arched her hips against Miho's and heard her scream out in pleasure, and Anzu felt a similar type of sensation and another throbbing pulse, this time between her legs and she wanted more. Her pace was slow and methodical and Miho's moans kept increasing in volume against Anzu's lips as she continued to gently thrust against her. Soon Anzu picked up the pace, making her thrusts more frantic and rough and soon Miho felt her back hunched over a little too much when she was sitting on top of Anzu.

She then lay completely on top of Anzu and began her own powerful thrusts and Anzu threw her head back and moaned, her voice bouncing off the walls of the studio. She desperately grabbed Miho's ass and pushed her waist firmer against her own body, goading her to fuck her as rough as she could.

Anzu could barely utter a coherent word while Miho continued to strike her body with devastating blows. It felt so fucking good feeling Miho's breath against her neck and her lower region pressed again and again into hers that she wanted to scream her name. In fact, she did.

"Miho! Don't stop," she moaned, gripping and holding onto her for dear life, feeling her entire body trembling from the sexual assault Miho bestowed upon her. The back mirror of the studio was right beside them and Anzu was blown away by her facial expressions; it was pure torture, ecstasy and euphoria all in one and she took notice of the way her lower body was slammed into the wooden floor by Miho's passionate humps against her, but she didn't care. Miho was bringing her to the edge of insanity and pretty soon Anzu felt an intense tingle all over her skin, indicating that an orgasm was near.

"Anzu….Anzu," was all that Miho could say before she climaxed, her body stiffening as the orgasm blanketed her emotions and fogged her thought process. She felt the buildup of feeling in her stomach rise up to her throat and exit her mouth in a scream once Miho could no longer hold anything back anymore. She then felt Anzu buckle her hips up so high once she was hit with her own climax, desperately grasping onto Miho once again as she rode out the orgasmic waves until she was completely drained.

Sweaty bodies and exhausted pants were the only things left after their tryst. Miho was rendered too weak to move, and until she could regain her strength she stayed on top of Anzu.

…

"_And cut." _Her voice was barely above a whisper. The performance was over and everything she needed to sabotage her coworker's career was just recorded on tape. Once the red button shut off, the director quietly reached her feet and stalked off towards the entrance of the main foyer, undetected by her subjects. This would be the best damned stunt she'd ever pull.

* * *

What the hell was Mokuba doing here? He kept asking himself that question as he stood in front of Joey's house that looked like it was barely hanging on by a thread, faded off green paint chipped everywhere he laid his eyes on, gutters that were almost torn from the rooftop to the ground and the actual plywood build of the house looked shaky at best.

The kid straightened out the collar of black heather tahiti t-shirt from Billabong before approaching the door step. When he took a foot on the first step, the weak plywood gave way under his weight and the entire footing under him collapsed. The younger Kaiba gasped and hurried his way to the door before the rest of the porch fell apart under his weight. Before knocking, he took a deep breath and used his knuckles to tap firmly on the surface.

At first there was no answer. Mokuba paused a few seconds before knocking again. He even put his ear to the door to see if he could hear any approaching footsteps before knocking one last time.

Third time was a charm. Before he could return to his normal stance the door flew open and the kid fell halfway into the house on his hands and knees. Mokuba immediately looked up and winced at the middle aged man, shirtless with a hairy chest and beer belly, holding a semi automatic shotgun.

Fuck. The kid knew that any wrong movements might cost him his life and this guy looked like a loose cannon. His eyes were bloodshot red and he had the ugliest snarl on his pimpled face. Mokuba climbed back to his feet with caution.

"Hi," he drawled, not taking his eyes off the gun. "I…is Joey….is Joey here?"

The man snorted. "The fuck is a Joey?"

"Uhhh…" Mokuba was drawing a blank for some reason. "Joey Wheeler? Doesn't he live here—in there?"

He heard the gun cock. Mokuba's heart sank down to his knees and he suddenly couldn't feel his legs. If he didn't get out of there soon, he'd probably be not of this world in a matter of seconds.

His phone vibrated in his pocket but he was too scared to move. He knew it was probably Kaiba calling him to tell him to come back to the car. If only he knew how much Mokuba wanted to do that if he knew he wouldn't be shot dead for his efforts.

"The fuck off my property kid, unless you like the idea of a blazing bullet shot up your ass," the old man scowled menacingly. His voice pierced through Mokuba's heart like an arrow.

"N-n-n-n-no th-th-thank you. I must have the wrong house," he stuttered, backing up slowly as his phone continued to ring. The man seemed agitated by the noise and he glared at the kid, slowly lifting up the gun. Mokuba's mouth ran dry and his legs felt like dumbbells. Fuck, why couldn't he move all of a sudden?

Kaiba saw what was happening from the car and almost fell flat on his face trying to rush out of there to his brother's aid. He didn't care about getting hurt but Mokuba was another story.

He told Mokuba that coming to this side of town wasn't a good idea. And for someone as worthless as Joey Wheeler? Kaiba had no clue as to why his little brother cared so much for someone he just met. It seemed fruitless. But Mokuba refused to tell him why and wouldn't stop begging his brother to bring him to this bad side of town but as incentive, Mokuba promised not to take long.

Kaiba's stride was quicker than normal for obvious reasons. Joey's father saw the taller man approach the shorter one from behind and as far as he knew, this was a setup of some kind that Joey perpetrated. He'd get that son of a bitch good when he finally caught up with him.

He wasn't going down without a fight. He raised his arm and aimed the gun at Mokuba, who was now as pale as a ghost. Kaiba panicked and sprinted towards his brother before he heard the sickening crackle of thunder in the air, followed by a deadly silence.

"Mokuba!"

The younger Kaiba unfortunately didn't know what had happened after that before his whole entire world went pitch black and he fainted.

* * *

**Damn gotta love those cliff hangers :-) There is a brand new poll on my profile with BRAND NEW stories to choose from—way better than the previous ones. Please check them out & vote for your favorite!**


	9. What The Hell?

Chez Parina, the upscale restaurant that Honda managed inside of the Casino Royale was quite busy today. Hungry customers bustled and filled the tables, some of them demanding Honda's special Bouillabaisse, a French dish with richly flavored seafood made with olive oil, or if they would prefer, they could sample his famous sauerkraut which Honda secretly didn't like very much but if his customers did, it only meant more money for him. That was his motive, along with the satisfaction of seeing a smile on his customer's face leaving him a fat ass tip. That was always nice. He didn't have time to daydream though because the place was a madhouse at the moment.

He pushed the white swinging doors open to the kitchen being welcomed by a strong whiff of sautéed onions and fried fish and couldn't even count how many time he'd nearly been knocked over by someone running across the floor. Three chefs, including Otogi were vigorously working at the stoves, tossing vegetables in their pots, stirring herbs and adding spices for extra flavor. Honda couldn't stay in that area long because he had to go see how the rest of the kitchen was progressing, but he did notice that while everyone else seemed stressed out under the pressure, Otogi had quite the grin on his face, humming quietly to himself as he flipped the cutlets in his pan in the air, and perfectly catching them on the pan as they fell back down. He seemed to be in his own happy little world, ignoring the heavy and stressful vibe in the kitchen.

Honda quietly approached him from behind and tapped him on the shoulder. Otogi was wearing earphones, which explained why he was humming to himself. He jumped and looked behind him, immediately blushing when he locked eyes with Honda. Otogi's emerald eyes seem to light up along with the rest of his face when he looked at his boss.

"H-hey Honda," he stammered. He felt his face heating up and it was definitely the wrong time to be jonesing over his boss. But Otogi kept it cool.

"Everything alright guys?" Honda was looking at Otogi but more or so asking the other two cooks as well.

"Yeah, can't you tell? We're bored as hell over here," said Jordan Yuki, stirring a pot of spaghetti and being somewhat blinded by the steam that arose from her cooking utencil. Her sarcasm was the only thing that kept her sane in this place. She was more or so Honda's right hand woman, almost like a substitute for whenever Otogi wasn't around or had to take the day off which was rare.

She glanced over at her brother Jaden who hadn't even heard what Honda had asked. He had a teflon coated frying pan in which he was supposed to be sautéing onions on top; only he couldn't seem to locate his vegetable oil. Jaden seemed nervous when he started tapping his fingers, especially since he was still relatively new at the place, but Honda saw no reason to give the kid a hard time, especially since his younger sister already did enough of that.

"Lost your stuff again, kid?" Honda asked, half snickering, taking a note at Jordan's eye roll.

"Uhhh…" Jaden slowly turned his head and gave Honda a sheepish grin, not wanting to confess what he probably already knew anyways. "Sorry boss…"

Honda was about to respond back when Otogi hissed at him.

"What?"

Otogi subtly looked over at Jaden and then at Honda again, wrapping an arm around his boss' shoulders and stepping to the side about two feet.

"Just a little initiation," he snickered, looking behind his back. Jaden was still looking for his bottle of oil and Jordan noticed Otogi's grin, immediately knowing what the bastard was up to. She rolled her eyes again and continued stirring her naked noodles before adding a pinch of salt. She didn't say anything though. A little harmless prank would do Jaden some good maybe; perhaps toughen the guy up a bit. At least that's what Jordan hoped.

Otogi had Jaden's missing oil in the pocket of his white apron. He discreetly showed Honda the bottle, receiving an eye roll for his endeavors, mimicking Jordan's mannerisms. The kitchen was way too busy today for these types of shenanigans and Jaden already had it hard enough without Otogi's pranks. Lucky for him, Honda's mood wasn't all that sour, not to mention Otogi was secretly his favorite anyway. Not that he needed to know that, but still.

"Grow up will ya?" he grumbled, feigning irritation. "The restaurant is full today and there's no time to be playing keep-away-from-Jaden."

Otogi gripped Honda's shoulder a little firmer before taking a few more steps away from his fellow cooks. "Keep your voice down, Hiroto. And plus, it's just a little harmless fun. I'll just put it back when he isn't looking."

"Whatever, get back to work kid." Honda ruffled Otogi's jet black hair before he had a chance to escape. Otogi grimaced, complaining that his "perfect locks" were now tainted by Honda's grubby fingers. He was far from a kid, but he knew Honda was just teasing. Otogi admired that no matter how busy, frantic and hectic the kitchen was, Honda always seemed to be a little more relaxed whenever they exchanged a few words.

He wondered if it was a coincidence.

"Speaking of work," Otogi answered before Honda pushed him back towards the stoves. "Are you ready to start working for me this week?"

Honda face palmed. He had totally forgotten about that. He was secretly hoping that Otogi had too, but to his chagrin, he probably couldn't get it out of his head what he wanted Honda to do.

"Not really," he confessed. "But we can talk about this after work, yeah? Those cutlets aren't gonna cook themselves." He motioned his head towards Otogi's stove.

There was a strong pungent odor in the air, like something was burning or even on fire. Otogi sniffed like a dog and looked behind him towards his stove to see that his food was almost burnt to a crisp.

"Oh shit!" he ran and grabbed the handle and hissed when he felt the searing heat of the handle burn through his skin. Otogi didn't think to put on an oven mitt before he grabbed the thing so he jerked his hand back, almost hitting Honda in the face. He grabbed Otogi's arm before his hand could make its target.

Jordan once again rolled her eyes as if it were a habit now. She walked over towards the sink with a drainer to pour her water out of her pot. And Jaden _still_ couldn't find his vegetable oil.

Honda felt bad for him at this point. While Otogi was running cold water over his hand, Honda grabbed the oil from his pocket. Otogi gave him a dirty look but it didn't faze the chef. He just smirked and walked towards Jaden who looked as though he was almost ready to give up and walk out but his face lit up when Honda handed him the oil.

"Where'd you get this?" he exclaimed.

"That's not important," said Honda glancing at Otogi who stuck his tongue out childishly. "Just get back to work. You're doing a good job kid."

Jaden beamed. "Thank you Mr. Hiroto!"

Jordan pushed past them, knocking Jaden in the shoulder as she walked by.

"You may need to get some tissue for my brother if you know what I mean boss," she laughed.

"You almost burned me with your pot, you little bitch," Jaden scowled. "Watch where you're walking with that thing."

"Angry teddy bear at ten o' clock," Jordan giggled. It was so cute how Jaden liked to pretend he was tougher than he really was.

He just rolled his eyes and poured the vegetable oil in his skillet. It was no wonder they were related because they even rolled their eyes the same way. It was almost uncanny.

"Alright you two, save that for when you get home. This place is tense enough as it is," Honda muttered. He gave Otogi one last look before he decided to go see what the bakers were up to. That area was probably more hectic than the cookers area. He almost got knocked down again when someone was mad dashing through the double doors and outside to the restaurant, but he leaned back just in time.

When the doors were about to close, Honda noticed about five or six people running past them, and then after that the crowd got bigger and bigger, not to mention the volume out the main casino hall outside was starting to become bothersome. Even when the doors closed again, Honda kept seeing people running past the in the small squared windows and by that time, he was more than curious, but he couldn't just leave the kitchen. Someone might need him.

People were yelling and screaming for whatever reason and Honda ran up to the doors, however not opening it for fear of getting hurt or hit with something, or someone. He peered out, cupping his face around his eyes, but he didn't see anyone familiar in the commotion. Just customers who appeared rather alarmed and some even seem entertained at whatever they were looking at. It was quite puzzling to say the very least.

A loud crash brought Honda back to his senses and he casted his head around to locate the sound's origin. There were people running back and forth between their workstations and the sinks and refrigerators and freezers, not to mention the huge stock room in the back whenever they ran out of supplies and ingredients to cook with. The sound of tongs hitting the stainless steel pots, spatulas being scooped inside of hallow bowls and the loud hiss of steam emitted from an otherwise small teapot polluted the moist air. Honda had never seen this place so occupied before. He'd swear the Mayor was in town or something.

His attention was divided between what was going on inside of the kitchen and outside of it. It was as though two women were vying and competing for his attention and Honda didn't know which side to choose because they both looked so inviting and precarious. But he knew never to leave the kitchen unattended—not after what Jaden and Jordan did with the lobsters. That cost Honda and Pegasus for that matter some major revenue so after that little stunt they pulled, Honda knew he couldn't leave the kiddies to their leisure anymore. He'd probably get bitched at.

People from inside the kitchen now started to detect the outside mayhem. Jordan was the first one to walk towards the doors to look out the window. Honda groaned and walked up behind her and grabbed her petite shoulders.

"Get back to work, there's nothing to see here," he said, growing annoyed when Jordan resisted his request.

"Dude, someone's fighting out there!" she exclaimed, swatting Honda's hands away. "It has to be a fight, that's the only reason people in this place gather in groups like that."

"A fight?" Honda was definitely curious now. He gently pushed Jordan's shoulders but she wasn't budging. She even tried walking out of the restaurant but Honda briskly grabbed her wrists, pulling her back in.

"Get to work!" he spat. "I'll take care of this."

"You just wanna be nosy," Jordan scowled. When Honda walked away without replying she yelled at him, "At least tell us what's going on!"

"Yeah, yeah…" Honda didn't really hear what she said because he was distracted by all of the countless jeers and shouts that seemed to increase in volume after he approached the door again. Too curious for his own good at this point, he walked out, cupping his ears immediately because everyone around the—whatever was going on were screaming a little too loud for his liking and to make matters worse, Honda couldn't spot any security guards on duty. He was almost pushed back into the kitchen because everyone wanted a birds-eye view of whatever was going on before them so Honda had to force his way through the throng of hyperactive onlookers.

Thank goodness he was tall enough to look over the crowd even though he was unceremoniously shoved to the back of the thrashing clump. The cluster of people didn't seem to want him to have a gander at what was so damn entertaining to them, selfish and wanting to view the matter at hand on their own, as if they had that right. The place was for gambling, not broadcasting or glorifying fights.

That is, if what Jordan said was even true. Honda could never be too sure with that little spitfire.

It must have been though. Why else would people be so interested? While Honda was cupping a chin, standing and contemplating, two figures emerged into his view. They shot up from the unknown like geysers, but Honda couldn't make out who they were because of the annoyingly erratic darting and bobbing of heads back and forth, blocking his view. He decided that he was just going to force his way through the blanket of bodies, no matter how pissed anyone got. If things got too out of hand, he could just call security.

Speaking of the devil, before Honda could reach the eye of the hurricane, he was shoved quickly to the right, along with a handful of other people, tripping over his own feet as he was pushed out of the crowd completely. Well so much for that. Two actual police officers succeeded in separating the rowdy flock of people from the point of interest, drawing out batons just in case some people didn't want to listen. Luckily they didn't have to go that far because once everyone saw the uniforms they backed off. That's when Honda could see things clearly.

A few individuals were still lingering among what appeared to be a scuffle between two people trying to break it up. The longer Honda stared at what was going on, he started to get an inkling of who one of the participants were, if the dirty blonde hair was any indication. He knew that damn hair anywhere, unbrushed and unkempt as hell at all times but that seemed to be his style. Honda also noticed that the other guy had on a long white trench coat that seemed to descend down to his feet and the depths of hell. His chestnut hair was not to be denied, only since he was in this fight, it was all but disheveled ever since this battle started.

Honda couldn't just stand by and watch Joey get his ass kicked. The guy he was quarreling was a bit taller and leaner than he was and though Joey could usually hold his own during combat, the fact that he was at work probably wasn't the best place to showcase that kind of talent.

Honda once again forced his way through the crowd, hearing a few gripes here and there but nothing he couldn't ignore. By the time he got towards the front, the two officers had separated Joey and Kaiba from essentially killing each other. Honda's face practically dropped to the floor when he looked at Kaiba and then Joey and then back to Kaiba. This wasn't good, at all. Kaiba could easily sue this place and/or buy it right from under Pegasus out of spite and if he was thinking about it before, this little mayhem would've damn sure put his plan to fruition. Pegasus was always worried about Kaiba doing something like this, for whatever reason, and now he had a reason to.

They both looked exhausted but their angered red faces did a good job of masking it. Both men had uneven, irregular red marks and bruises all over their bodies, slightly torn clothing—more so Joey than Kaiba; his entire shoulder was exposed—and Joey had a busted lip. Kaiba had a large red bruise across his neck and Honda could even distinguish that they were hand prints. Kaiba also had a mark on his cheek from where Joey probably punched him, not to mention a small nick on his collarbone and his trench coat was now also missing.

The tension was so thick, it could be cut with a butcher knife. From the time that they were separated, Joey and Kaiba didn't take their eyes off one another. Kaiba's cold and unforgiving cobalt eyes seemingly pierced a permanent hole inside of Joey's skull but Joey's own brown pupils didn't back down from the scrutiny. The crowd conveniently grew quiet, but the silence between Joey and Kaiba was deafening. Honda stood there not knowing what to do at first. The natural thing to do was to check up on Joey but he didn't know how close he was allowed to get to his friends with the damn police officers around. They hadn't whipped out any handcuffs yet so that was a good sign, but Honda knew that it was inevitable. However he didn't really count on them arresting Kaiba since he practically owned half of the city with his money and resources. Joey unfortunately didn't have that kind of pull.

To make matters worse, Honda heard Pegasus' frantic voice from behind and it made him flinch. When he was going to be confronted with this catastrophe, Honda knew he would blow a gasket.

"What is going on here?" he shrieked, his voice higher than normal, understandably so. He pushed his way through the crowd not caring how rude he was when doing so, because he could easily just have him kicked out of the place. The whole entire casino seemed to be on a standstill once Pegasus arrived.

"Why don't you ask him?" Joey's voice was so deep and raspy it seemed unnatural of him. It didn't fit his character and it sounded like he had a frog in his throat. His knees trembled and felt ready to collapse but he fought to shake it off, because he didn't want Kaiba to see just how much the fight had affected him in the least. He didn't need that hanging over his head.

He had no idea why Kaiba barged into the casino and went straight for him. There was no warning, no omen, no nothing—Joey was just minding his business, serving customers at the bar when he felt someone grab at his collar and before he could react, he was pulled from over the bar counter and tackled to the floor, with no explanation or anything. The only thing Joey knew how to do was fight back. He didn't care who it was that wanted to throw down, apparently this punk was itching for an ass whoopin so who was Joey to deny them that?

Pegasus swallowed a frog when he saw Kaiba. He was probably the last person he wanted to see in an altercation with Joey Wheeler—_again_. He just didn't understand why these two couldn't keep their damn hands off each other, or why Kaiba was even showing his face there knowing that he didn't get along with Joey at all. This was the second time that this had occurred.

Honda had stood in between Joey and the police officer that held Joey's arms behind him, or at least tried to before Joey snatched his arms free. By that time he didn't want anyone touching him partly because his shoulder was sore and tender but he wasn't going to admit that. His neck also hurt and so did he knee. He was pretty banged up and Kaiba probably was too but Joey took it like a man and didn't complain.

"I'm obviously asking you first, Joseph. Now what happened?" Pegasus demanded.

Kaiba constricted his eyes at Joey, as if he was waiting for the magic word so that he could pounce on him again. He was still somewhat out of breath, as was Joey and even though Kaiba was in pretty good shape physically, he didn't count on the street punk to wear him out like that, especially since Kaiba basically sneak attacked him. But the bastard deserved it.

Especially after what happened to Mokuba.

"I'm minding my own business when this prick attacks me outta nowhere," Joey reported, making a face when he tasted the presence of blood in his mouth. "Why don't you ask him what his fucking problem is?"

"My brother could've gotten killed because of you, you son of a bitch," Kaiba growled, making a lunge towards Joey but the police officer held him at bay.

"Excuse me?" Joey shrieked. "Killed?! Mokuba?"

Kaiba didn't answer him. Instead he fought to free himself from the officer's grip because he wanted another round of kicking Joey's ass. It peeved him even more when Joey acted like he didn't know what Kaiba was talking about. Why else would Mokuba have come over his house? The kid rarely did surprise visits, mainly because Kaiba didn't know or like most people, and knew that being a multi billionaire meant tons of enemies, whether seen or unseen. Kaiba just didn't want to take that chance of Mokuba being out of his sight but at the same time, he didn't want to deny the kid a social life either.

He just wished he hadn't chosen Joey Wheeler as a companion of all people.

"Officers, please escort these two gentlemen outside of my casino if you don't mind. I have a business to run," said Pegasus, running his hands through his hair, as if from stress or something else potent. As if he was the one involved in the confrontation. Joey just rolled his eyes.

Eye rolling seemed to be the norm this evening, Honda noticed. Pegasus yelled at everyone to go back to what they were doing before, shooing and dismissing them back to their leisure. When everyone disbanded, Joey, Honda, Kaiba, Pegasus and the two officers were left standing by the bar. Honda attempted to take Joey by the arm but Joey jerked it back.

"I'm not a fucking kid, I can walk," he scowled, pushing his way through Kaiba and the policeman that was holding him. Joey made sure to bump Kaiba's shoulder purposely as he made his way back to the bar to serve customers.

Kaiba didn't take that lying down of course. When Joey rejoined the bar, Kaiba ran and tackled him once again to the floor which then ignited yet another crowd to watch their brawl. Kaiba wrapped an arm around Joey's throat and squeezed, harboring a scarlet red flush on Joey's face when he couldn't breathe. Joey took an elbow and jabbed Kaiba right in the gut, sending a sharp, searing pain through his core, causing him to cry out and relinquish his grip on Joey. Joey got up on his knees, gripping his neck and returning the normal color on his face while Kaiba was still on the floor grimacing and nursing his wounds. Joey seized the opportunity and threw himself at Kaiba, first wrapping his arms around his neck and forcing his body against his to the floor again. Kaiba groaned when he felt the heavy weight of Joey's body clashing with his and on top of that, his air supply was decreasing. His face was buried in the crook of Joey's neck and he couldn't breathe for the life of him. Kaiba gasped as though he were under water struggling for air, but at the same time, he smelled a vague whiff of Joey's cologne settling in his nose. Surprisingly it wasn't all that bad. As a matter of fact, it was a bit…relaxing—

"Fuck!" Joey got a handful of Kaiba's hair as he rose to his feet, dragging the man halfway across the floor, scuffing his pressed cream colored slacks. Of course by the time Kaiba was able to untangle himself from Joey's grip, it was way past grimy.

No big deal. Kaiba would just have to buy one to replace it. It wasn't as though he couldn't afford it but those slacks were kind of his favorite. When he stood back up, Joey was about two feet away. Not giving consideration for his health or Joey's, or hell, even the people around him, Kaiba lunged like a rocket towards Joey's midsection and when he made contact, the two of them stumbled backwards and knocking into Honda in the process, which also caused him to crumble and shield his face out of instinct just in case a slap or a punch came his way. Granted, he should've have been in the way in the first place, but he didn't count on Kaiba jumping Joey like that.

By this time though, the police have had enough. Both officers approached the pile of bodies that were wriggling around like fish out of water, first grabbing Honda since he was the innocent victim, and chucking him upwards by his collar. He gave the officer a thankful smile and decided to just talk to Joey when everything was calm, which definitely wasn't today.

Honda heard Joey scream at the top of his lungs. Naturally he turned around to see why and to his surprised, Joey had been tased. A few seconds later, he heard the same scream out of Kaiba's mouth and assuming the same had happened to him, Honda wasn't completely disappointed. He'd rather see Kaiba get the shitty end of the stick especially since he was the one that started this whole thing.

The officers took both men and ushered them outside of the casino, much to Pegasus' chagrin because now he had no bartender. When the four got outside, the policemen shoved the both of them onto the street, tripping off the curb and almost into Kaiba's cherry red Ferarri. The CEO made sure that no inch of Joey touched his car, so he grabbed a shoulder before Joey could make contact.

Joey shoved Kaiba's hand away. "Don't fucking touch me." And with that he walked away.

"Hey!" Kaiba yelled, running after him. "I'm not done with you yet prick! My brother could've been seriously hurt or even worse thanks to your psychotic, pathetic excuse for a father!"

Joey stopped in his tracks. Kaiba ran into him from behind, almost pushing Joey over.

"And how is that my fault?" he screeched, turning back around. "I didn't tell your ditzy brother to come over!"

"You expect me to believe that shit?" Kaiba responded indignantly. "Why else would Mokuba come over to your broken down house in the slumps of Neo Domino unless you asked? You think I was born yesterday, Wheeler? We wouldn't be caught dead there otherwise."

Joey laughed maniacally. "You don't want me to answer that."

"You think this is _funny_?" Kaiba screamed, grabbing his collar. "My brother could have gotten killed!"

"Quit blaming me for it!" Joey cried at the top of his lungs, shoving Kaiba away from him. The proximity was beginning to irk him. "Why would I ask Mokuba to come over if I knew I wasn't gonna be there?"

Kaiba hummed. "I don't know, maybe because you wanted to set us up? I know you can't stand me and quite frankly you aren't my favorite person in the world either, but even I never thought you would stoop this low."

"You're a terrible listener," said Joey crossing his arms and taking in deep breaths to calm himself. His chest hurt considerably after being tackled by Kaiba, not to mention his entire back. "Why don't you go ask your brother what happened, huh? And quit hounding me about it."

"Because my brother is currently out of commission thanks to your father," Kaiba mumbled.

Joey sighed and face palmed. He stole a glance from Kaiba, receiving a glare from the man, which was amplified by the sunlight shining in his face. The corner of Kaiba's eyes were wrinkled from his narrowed lids and on top of that, the most unfriendly frown Joey had ever come across.

"What are you looking at?" Kaiba muttered.

Joey didn't reply. He took a few steps back and shook his head in frustration. This conversation was getting nowhere.

"Look, I have nothing to apologize for," he said. "I didn't tell Mokuba to come over."

Kaiba snorted. "You're lucky that bullet barely missed him."

"Well maybe your brother shouldn't be such a dope and come to neighborhoods that are obviously unsafe—"

That was the last straw. Kaiba once again grabbed Joey by the collar. "Hey let go!—" he tried to shout but was cut off when Kaiba brought their faces together. He looked way scarier up close.

Their noses touched which made Joey feel overwhelmingly uncomfortable and Kaiba's cobalt blue eyes punctured through him like a sword. Joey prayed that Kaiba couldn't hear his thumping heart, considering it was beating and pounding so loud like a conga drum and his knees felt like they were about to buckle. Kaiba's skin looked so . . . what was the word for it? Joey couldn't decide but beforehand, he didn't realize how nice it looked from this angle. Not that he'd ever have any opportunity other than this to check Kaiba out from this close angle.

Which by the way was unnerving. Kaiba was breathing in his face with no filter like an angry bull ready to pounce. Joey tried to pry Kaiba's fingers from his collar but that just made him grip his garment even tighter, which would definitely leave an ugly crease.

"You can talk to me any kind of way. I can take it. But don't bad mouth my brother," he growled ominously. "The kid didn't deserve what your so called 'father' did to him."

"Let me go!" Joey struggled to break himself free, but that just incited Kaiba to jerk him around and throw him on the hood of the car, with his fist still tangled in his neckband. Joey reflexively smacked his hands on both sides of the car, though it wasn't much to grip on but Joey did come in contact with a pretty sleek paint job. But that was far from what he needed to focus on at the moment.

Kaiba was on top of him. And whether Joey liked it or not, they were exchanging a vast amount of heat and their bodies were only slightly touching. It was nerve wracking and confusing at the same time because Joey began to notice Kaiba's lean form more and more now. He always kind of suspected that the guy had a decent body but now Joey was starting to see outline after outline of defined and prominent muscles from the corner of his eye—he dare not stare outright because the situation was already awkward enough as it was without Joey eye raping him.

Nothing was said for a while which didn't really hinder the awkwardness in the least. The two just stared at each other dead in the other's eyes, breathing harder than was necessary. Joey swallowed hard, trying to thwart off any indication that he may have slightly liked Kaiba being on top of him like this. Wait—what was he thinking, he just got in a huge fight with this asshole. No way he could grow attracted to him that fast. He struggled against anything even resembling admiration or infatuation. Joey had come across lots of good looking people. Why was Kaiba any different?

Likewise, though Kaiba would never verbally admit it, the blonde dope actually wasn't as unattractive as his personality was. He had a nice pair of eyes when they weren't so menacing and from the base of his neck, two distinct pairs of muscles caught Kaiba's attention. At least now he knew Joey wasn't a complete lazy slob and took care of his body.

Why was Kaiba even contemplating this now? His anger all but disappeared when he threw Joey on top of the car. Maybe it was this closeness that was fucking with his head, but he was starting to soften up. Unfortunately not every single part of his body had the same idea.

Joey felt Kaiba's boner. He wasn't going to let that shit slide like he had everything else. Kaiba was blanketing him and was only a few centimeters away from taking him if he wanted. And the blatant hesitation was just heightening the sexual tension even more.

He felt Kaiba loosen his grip on his collar, thankfully. Maybe this meant that he was going to finally get off him. But instead Kaiba rested both of his arms on either side of Joey's waist. Of course this put Joey on high alert. The thick, hostile tension between the two was turning into another kind of tension right before their eyes. And all it took was a little confined area.

Joey felt exposed. Like Kaiba could just rip his clothes off and fuck him mercilessly right on top of that car, and in broad daylight no less. He wasn't too sure how fast he could get away now with the guy completely shadowing him. The very notion made his own pants tight. Part of Joey wanted Kaiba to do the unthinkable, while the other half wanted Kaiba to get the fuck off him already. Being so close to each other manifested unwanted thoughts that both Joey and Kaiba didn't want to deal with right now.

"Get off me," Joey mumbled. His voice sounded barely above a squeak. That wasn't good.

Kaiba didn't budge. Joey was actually hoping he would. At least that's what he was telling himself.

But he could actually feel Kaiba's chest pushing against and into his own when he was breathing. That didn't help matters at all. If anything it just aroused Joey even more.

His vision began to blur for some odd reason. Joey shook his head to break the cobwebs but when his eyes began to focus again Kaiba's face was even closer to his. Joey felt the infestation of butterflies invade his stomach, followed by the flooding emotions that included confusion and slight anger. Time seemed to have stood still for him and Kaiba and even in the daytime, the parking lot of Casino Royale seemed like a ghost town. Closer and closer did their faces come together, and Joey hitched his breath. He could feel himself melting under Kaiba's embrace no matter how hard he fought against his quaking knees, weak stomach and bony erection. Fuck, why was this happening? Joey could hear Kaiba breathing, his shallow undertones taking refuge in his mouth. Joey gulped when their lips barely touched in a feathery peck and Kaiba's cobalts were now replaced by a darker hue of black. Joey knew those eyes; they were bedroom eyes zooming in on him, getting ready for the kill. They seem to hypnotize and paralyze Joey as his limbs suddenly became limp and useless.

This was the weirdest situation he'd ever been in. Someone he'd been in a physical fight with not even an hour ago was now about to press his lips against his. Joey did not imagine any repressed sexual tension to surface and with Kaiba of all people. As far as he knew, the jerk was as straight as Joey thought he was.

Fuck it. It was too late to turn back now.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Don't worry, Yugi and Atem will be back next chapter. And please vote on the poll on my profile people! Fear of Falling will be complete in the next 1 or 2 chapters! ^_^


	10. Surfaced Emotions

**Enjoy the heavy puppyshipping :-)**

* * *

How Joey and Kaiba were able to barge into the CEO's mansion through the double doors of the main entrance, arms hooked under each other, lips locked, and bumping into every piece of furniture that they stumbled past undetected was beyond anyone's guess. Kaiba was backing Joey into a corner, literally, as they were sealed in an unbridled kiss laden with superficial passion and temporary heat that would probably last them the entire night, and into the morning. When Joey felt his back hit the wall he moaned in surprise but was cut off when Kaiba slipped his tongue down his throat again to silence him. Despite what the bartender thought of the CEO up until this point, he had no idea how tender his kisses would make him feel. Joey could sense his face heating up when Kaiba tilted his head to the side and pressed his soft lips harder against his, lust obvious in his half lidded cobalt eyes. Who would have thought Seto Kaiba even had soft lips? Joey wondered what else this guy could've been hiding.

Kaiba's hand was on Joey's cheek cupping it ever so gently while the other ghosted at his side. Joey clenched his teeth automatically before he realized he was doing it, not to mention the shiver that edged up his spine manifested goosebumps all over his body. Heat assembled in his groin making Joey's pants even tighter as Kaiba continued to suck in and massage his lips while he grabbed Joey's hips and grinded them together with his, making his back slam slightly into the barrier.

Joey couldn't help himself after that. He threw his head back against the wall and moaned out loud in the dead quiet of the Kaiba mansion, his voice echoing and ricocheting off the taupe colored walls.

"Shhh, crazy, my brother is sleeping," Kaiba hissed but didn't wait for Joey to reply before he planted his lips on his neck without skipping a beat, caressing the crook and jawline with gentle nips and working his way down the base sucking skin in the entire time. Joey's muscles cringed when he felt Kaiba nuzzling his neck like a cat but he couldn't form words that were coherent enough to ask him what he was doing. The blood flow to his brain wasn't efficient enough to allow him that privilege. He enveloped his arms around Kaiba's own neck and rubbed while Kaiba dug his face deeper into Joey's neck, relaxing his hard body against his. Only now without the trench coat, Joey felt every inch of Kaiba pushing up on him, from his toned, solid muscles, slim waist and pelvic muscles that gently thrusted against his own, making his bony erection even more obvious in his pants.

Joey wrapped a leg around Kaiba's thigh while he grinded into him against the wall, cupping his mouth to prevent making too much noise and waking Mokuba. But fuck, it felt so good. Even though they were both fully clothed, Joey could feel Kaiba's member unmistakably rubbing shamelessly against his. The frottage was making him feel more aroused than it should've been, but Kaiba's ministrations were sending his mind into a fogged state of excitement and euphoria that Joey wasn't familiar with. It somewhat scared him but with Kaiba practically molesting him with kisses all over his neck, jawline and collarbone, with a full grip of his ass cheek in one hand, and not to mention Kaiba breathing all over him, Joey couldn't tell him to stop. His words melted and he was reduced to a puddle of his former self whenever he tried to open his mouth to speak, but his body language told Kaiba that he was starving for more.

The two exchanged sweat and hot air between their bodies. Joey's legs began to shake the harder Kaiba pushed into him and he cupped his mouth even harder but he didn't know how longer he could take of this before he screamed. Kaiba actually bit down on Joey's neck because he could hear the distress in his throat struggling to break free. He really didn't want to wake his brother up, especially after the two were supposed to "hate" each other. Joey was unaccustomed to being bitten like that but if that was what Kaiba was into, then let him have his little quirk. So long as it didn't leave a permanent mark afterwards.

They broke the kiss when the need for oxygen was too great. Kaiba linked his fingers with Joey's and pinned his arms on the wall, looking at him with an unreadable stare, panting like a dog in his face. Joey found it intimidating and invasive so he looked away at the floor. No one had ever looked at him like that and it was making him feel naked despite having clothes on. He didn't even know how he ended up in the Kaiba mansion _again_, but at least this time it was on a lighter ground, per se. Even so, Joey still had a hard ass time figuring Kaiba out. If the guy wasn't hurling insults and trying to kick his ass, he had his lips all over Joey's neck anxious to get in his pants.

Not that Joey was complaining. Hell no. He'd rather have the latter.

"Seto?"

. . . . _Shit._ Both Joey and Kaiba knew that voice. They felt the presence of another human being to their right and from the corner of Kaiba's eyes, he saw a head full of bushy raven colored hair. Kaiba painfully turned his head slowly, being confronted by Mokuba's puzzled expression and piercing grey eyes. The kid was wearing Spongebob flannel pajamas and he had a sling on his left arm to keep his shoulder in place.

Joey's mouth gaped when he saw Mokuba's arm. He remembered Kaiba saying that he barely escaped that bullet, so why was his arm still in a sling?

Kaiba and Joey quickly removed their hold on each other, while adjusting their pants and shirts, as Mokuba watched. Hard. Like a hawk. He wasn't stupid though. He came downstairs to look for his brother when he was actually supposed to be in his room resting, but instead he found what he thought was two people that hated each other making out near the kitchen, in the corner of the lobby. As far as Mokuba knew, Joey and Kaiba couldn't stand each other, and now they were swapping spit and tonguing each other down? Something very strange was going on here.

Kaiba stood on the wall opposite of Joey and crossed his arms. He crossed his legs too to hide his still painfully hard erection, praying that Mokuba didn't see the way he pinned Joey against the wall rubbing the shit out of his crotch. How bad would that have looked? Especially since earlier that day, they had been fighting at the casino and now Kaiba was chasing his dick.

He couldn't look his brother in the face. Especially now since the little shit found out their secret.

Mokuba smirked deviously. "Well Seto, I was actually coming down here to see if you were hungry, but I see you already had Joey on your menu."

Kaiba snorted indignantly and turned his head the other way to hide the inevitable red flush across his cheeks and the bridge of his nose. Fuck this little guy for being so smart. But it wasn't like it wasn't obvious anyways if he wasn't. A five year old could figure out what Joey and Kaiba were doing.

"Don't worry about it kiddo. Kaiba didn't finish his appetizer," said Joey, and jumped back towards the wall when Kaiba shot him a hard look, his furious cobalt eyes telling him to cut it out. "What happened to your arm though?"

"Oh…" Mokuba clutched his limb, wincing when he felt the pain shooting through his shoulder. "I had an accident."

"No shit," said Joey with a chuckle. "Your brother told me what happened, so no need in trying to cover up."

A despondent sigh passed Mokuba's lips. "Joey, I'm sorry for coming over to your house, I didn't know your dad was gonna shoot at me—"

"Kid, will you relax?" Joey interjected with a dismissive wave. "I'm not mad. But there's a reason why I didn't want you to get involved in my damn business however…."

"Sorry, I couldn't help it," Mokuba rued, wary of Joey's intrusive gaze. "But I think you need to press charges on that guy before he actually kills someone, Joey."

Like Joey didn't already know that. He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked vacantly at the checkered tile floor underneath him. Problem is, even if he did have his dad arrested, the authorities wouldn't deem Joey responsible enough to care for Serenity on his own even though Joey knew he was, at least when it came to her. He did a lot of stupid shit, but was always careful with his sister. Even with his twelve-hour daily shifts, he wasn't sure if he could provide for her though. But he damn sure would try.

"Joey?"

"Yeah."

"What are you gonna do about—about your sister?"

Joey glared at Mokuba, and the kid took a few steps backward.

"Don't concern yourself with her, dude. I got this," he mumbled.

Kaiba rolled his eyes. Maybe Joey had Mobuba convinced that he was Superman, but he didn't have Kaiba convinced one bit. He could see through Joey's charade as if he were made of glass.

"Where's Serenity now?" Mokuba asked.

"At school, where I thought you were kid," Joey replied bitterly. But deep down, part of him was curious to know how far Kaiba would've gone with him had Mokuba not come downstairs.

"I have a separated shoulder," Mokuba deadpanned. "I'm not cleared to go back to school yet. And plus it's after hours, so I'm sure your sister isn't there either. Not that you would've known…" Kaiba rolled his eyes when he heard his brother chuckling obnoxiously.

Joey huffed. "Oh please, kid. I've been to school with way worse. Man up."

Kaiba snorted. "Watch your mouth, Wheeler."

"What?" Joey retorted, holding his hands out in his defense. "I'm just teaching the kid how to handle a situation like that if it ever happens again. This world is crazy. You just never know."

"Your father is proof of that."

Joey glared at Kaiba, which then in turn earned him an equally challenging stare in return but deep down he knew the jerk was right. He had to do something so that his demented father wouldn't do this to someone else, and Joey would be damned if it was Serenity.

"Don't be too hard on him Seto," Mokuba chided. "I was the klutz who lost his balance and landed right on my shoulder when I fainted. But what did you expect? I've never been shot at before. My whole life flashed before my eyes."

"Kid, you're only sixteen," Joey teased. "How much have you been through?"

"A lot," Mokuba replied. Before he opened his mouth to speak again, Kaiba cleared his throat, garnering the attention of both his brother and Joey. When four sets of eyes were on Kaiba, he rolled his own and looked away. Just because he had a makeout session with Joey a few minutes ago didn't mean he was able and willing to disclose information that he or anyone else didn't need to know about. The past was the past and Kaiba was determined to let it stay buried there. And he was hoping that Mokuba would've too.

"Well regardless, you guys came out on top right?" Joey responded, not taking his eyes off Kaiba. "CEO of the biggest gaming company in the world, with more money than you know what to do with. And you get to boss people around. What's better than that?"

"Yeah…" Mokuba drawled, even though he knew there was more to it than that. He was taking constant dubious glances at his brother, who looked extremely uncomfortable at this point, so he didn't say anything else. He knew what this did to Kaiba. He hated talking about personal shit and Joey was probably the last person he wanted to know about anything that happened in their past but Mokuba did consider the guy his friend. And from the way Kaiba was kissing and groping him earlier, Mokuba thought he did too.

Joey sensed the sudden tension in the atmosphere but he didn't acknowledge it. It figured Kaiba was passionate whenever his dick was hard but once he was back to normal, he was the same detached android that he always was. Joey leaned back against the wall and pocketed his hands again, looking up at the ceiling. He really didn't know what he was going to do with the Kaiba brothers but no matter what he did, they just seemed to keep popping into his life. Joey didn't figure on anyone interfering in his family issues but he realized that he wasn't going to make this go away. Part of him wanted help, but the other part thought he could handle it, at least until Serenity went off to college and Joey didn't have to worry about their father putting his hands on her anymore.

"I'm gonna go get a banana," Mokuba announced out loud, changing the subject. Joey and Kaiba grew eerily quiet and the silence was starting to get awkward. He slowly stalked past the two men, noticing how they were trying very hard not to look at each other, as if they were trying to forget about what they almost did.

Yeah, that wasn't going to be erased from anyone's memory for a while.

When Kaiba and Joey were alone again, things just seemed to feel even more awkward and tense. Kaiba was determined to avoid being scrutinized by Joey like the plague, crossing his arms, leaning on his shoulder against the wall and looking straight ahead. He looked as though he was having a bitch fit or something. For some reason, Joey found it cute. Maybe he was upset that his kid brother cock blocked him unintentionally. Joey was a bit peeved too but obviously not more than Kaiba, obviously. He must have been hell bent on getting laid tonight.

After a few more moments of thick silence, Kaiba stalked off towards the stairwell, passing Joey and giving him a quick look that Joey probably would've missed if he weren't eyeballing Kaiba the entire time. He could even get a small whiff of Kaiba's cologne when the fabric of his leather shirt grazed his shoulder like a feather. Joey didn't know what to make of this . . . . "relationship", but he did know that he was tired of fighting with Kaiba. If he was willing to let bygones be bygones, Joey could be man enough to put the fight behind them, especially if it meant keeping his job that he so desperately needed.

But now he had to deal with the obvious sexual tension that he didn't know how to address and evidently, neither did Kaiba or else they'd still be pinned against the wall eating each other's faces off. Once Mokuba interrupted their potential tryst, he was back to that same old tsundere disposition again. Joey had to admit that it wasn't his favorite side of Kaiba and he wanted to see the other half of him again—the one that viciously attacked him and pinned him on the wall and plastered rough kisses all over his neck. Damn, he'd never felt anything like it.

Joey was all alone in the foyer. He looked around towards the kitchen and saw the refrigerator door opened with the light on. Then he turned his attention towards the staircase that seemed to have been on the other side of creation, or maybe that was because of how huge Kaiba's mansion was. He didn't know which brother to follow. Mokuba would've been easier to talk to, but something nagged at Joey to follow Kaiba for some reason. Illogical thinking, but Joey was never the type to think anything through before he did something stupid. And plus his dick was still kind of hard.

Although he didn't know if getting back in that mood a second time would work as well as the first. It just happened by chance.

Screw it. The worse Kaiba could do was kick him out right? Deciding against the voice of reason in his head that told him to stop, Joey crept towards the right and into the living room which held a red wine colored love seat, a fireplace near the rear and beautiful paintings of Kaiba and his brother on opposite sides of the beige wall. A huge, flat screen television hung from the adjacent wall in between two additional portraits, but Joey couldn't identify who it was in the picture. Plus, it was so dark, he wouldn't have been able to figure it out anyway.

Why did Kaiba like to keep the place so dim? Was he a vampire or something?

When Joey reached the base of the spiral stairwell, he could still see Kaiba walking towards the top. The guy must have been walking pretty slow if Joey could still catch up to him and it made him wonder if he was doing it on purpose so that Joey could follow. It heightened his curiosity more than anything but part of Joey thought that he was just overthinking the entire thing. Maybe Kaiba was just a lazy strider.

The further Joey got up the stairs, the creepier the house became. He almost couldn't see two steps in front of him so he was reduced to walking painstakingly slow. Once he reached the peak, he saw an alcove to his left with a bean bag chair and huge ceiling to floor window that showcased a palatial view of the first level of the mansion. Joey could even see part of the kitchen from where he was standing, but Mokuba was nowhere to be found. He also saw the backyard, which looked like a damn jungle laden with sakura trees, petunias, roses, baby's breath, aster and carnations. And that was only from Joey's point of view.

"If you're looking for my brother's room, he's on the last door to your left."

Joey's jumped out of his skin when Mokuba's voice rang through his ear unexpectedly and his heart leaped in his throat before he turned around and the kid was right in his face.

"Fuck," he wheezed, clutching his chest, and feeling his knees shake. "Don't sneak up on me like that kid. This house is spooky enough."

"Sorry," Mokuba laughed, his mouth half full with a banana. "You seemed a little lost, and I already know you're looking for Seto."

"No you don't," Joey insisted, staring down at the carpet to elude Mokuba's interrogating stare. "I actually was just trying to find the bathroom."

"Seto has one in his room," the kid said, holding back a chuckle. This was too funny. Watching Joey blush like a high school girl was priceless and one opportunity he refused to pass up.

"And you're telling me this because?" Joey asked resentfully, crossing his arms. He could see the little shit smirking from the corner of his eye.

"Because you're the first person to set foot in this house that my brother hasn't had to call security on," Mokuba replied, taking another bite of his banana. "For some reason, Seto likes you."

_No, he likes my dick,_ Joey wanted to say out loud, but he didn't. He didn't want the little twerp to know how much he was right about them. He wasn't particularly upset that Kaiba attacked him like that, because Joey knew how difficult the guy was when he wasn't horny and forming some type of bond that wasn't sexual was out of the question. That was a feat even Joey knew he couldn't attain, nor did he want to.

Trying to make Kaiba happy was trying to get a fish to walk out of water.

"Whatever you say kid," he muttered, trying to wash down the feeling of anxiousness when Mokuba kept looking at him dead in the eye. He hated feeling examined like some high school biology experiment and Joey rolled his eyes when Mokuba smirked at him, as if the brat knew what his motives were. He didn't like being read like a book.

Mokuba dug in his pockets for something, and ended up pulling out his phone. He pressed a button causing a light to come on and he made a face.

"Dude, it's late. Why don't you just stay here for the night?" the kid said.

"I can't man. I need to go check up on my sister," Joey insisted. "She's staying at my friend's house."

"There's a little invention called a telephone that you can use to check up on her," said Mokuba, sniggering, popping the last piece of banana through his lips. "And then after that, why don't you go search out my brother and finish what you started?"

"Why are you so hell bent on Kaiba getting laid?" Joey asked suspiciously with a cocked eyebrow. "You're more anxious for it than the both of us are."

"Because maybe my brother won't be so damn uptight if he did," the kid said boldly. "I know what sex does to people."

"And how do you know that?" Joey grilled.

"I have friends."

Clearly, Joey was still living in the 1800s or something, because he was acting like a scandalized mother who had just learned that her child had their first kiss. It wasn't unusual for sixteen year olds to know about that shit. Joey was just acting like a girl. Mokuba rolled his eyes when he gained no reply from him and walked off, signaling Joey to follow him through the darkened hallway. Before the kid got too lost in the shadows, Joey followed close behind, grabbing Mokuba's good shoulder as he followed him down the corridor, using the wall sconce as an only guide.

It didn't take them long to reach Kaiba's room. Joey swallowed when Mokuba knocked on the door. There wasn't an answer so he knocked a bit harder.

"Seto, it's me," he announced. He didn't mention that Joey was with him, so Kaiba assumed that the kid was by himself so he opened the door. When he locked eyes with the blond again, scarlet invaded his cheeks before he could compose himself and thwart the feeling of embarrassment off his face.

Ignoring Joey's bothersome gaze, Kaiba stared at his brother with sharp, reprimanding eyes. "What is it?"

"You forgot your dish," Mokuba said, and cackled when his brother shot him a stern look, jawline fixed tightly, but Kaiba didn't reply. He stared Mokuba down as the kid continued to laugh in his face while Joey stood on the sidelines trying to hide his discomfort as well. So, the punk found out that his brother finally someone that could possibly put up with his hard ass personality. Great. Kaiba was never going to live this down, was he?

"Get to bed," Kaiba grimaced, rolling his eyes to the ceiling and walking back inside his room. He left the door open which intrigued Joey a bit but he didn't say anything. He stood beside Mokuba, not knowing what to do until the kid patted him on the back.

"Well you heard the man," he said. "I'm going to bed. Have fun you guys. Just don't wake the neighbors."

"Mokuba—" Joey whined, but before he had a chance to finish his rant, the kid had already stalked off back towards the stairs, disappearing into the darkness.

What was Joey going to do now? Did Kaiba mean to leave his door open and let him in? Was he indirectly propositioning him or was Joey overthinking the gesture once again? He'd been doing a lot of that tonight.

He was confused as hell. Not to mention tired. It did spike his curiosity what Kaiba's bedroom looked like and so from that simple fact alone, Joey entered the room with caution. Apparently Kaiba liked to keep everything in the house so damn dark, including his bedroom but even from where Joey was standing, he could see a cherry red desk a few feet in front of him with Kaiba sitting in front of a laptop, typing with lightning speed, never missing a beat. There was another black leather mesh chair in front of the desk. The desk itself had a small plant to the far right of Kaiba's reach which made Joey smirk a little because he didn't think the guy was into decorations all that much. There was an entertainment center on the far right hand corner of the room, followed by an open door which led to Ra knows what. A sofa sat behind the door facing the television on the entertainment center and a bookshelf sat behind that. On the opposite end of the room was a mini refrigerator and a closet, probably big enough to walk in, and a bathroom on the opposite side of the fridge.

But no bedroom? Mokuba said there'd be one in here. But this was more like an office than a bedroom. Maybe even a study room. Joey made a face when he realized that even crossed his mind. But part of him wanted to see how far Kaiba was willing to go. Why, he couldn't really put a finger on. Maybe it was his dick talking.

Kaiba knew Joey was in the room, but he didn't acknowledge his presence. As long as the idiot didn't distract him too much, he didn't mind him being there. He needed to finish a little bit of work before he went off to bed, and if he were lucky enough, he'd get a full five hours of sleep. But that was rare since his thoughts always kept him up all night. Which was annoying.

He began to get irritated when Joey was in his field of vision and he couldn't shake the butterflies from his stomach. Kaiba snorted and stared harder into his computer screen to concentrate but the more he typed, the larger Joey's aura became. He didn't know what he was going to do with this guy but he did know that Joey wasn't going to get out of his house any time soon.

"You know you'll fuck up your eyes if you do that," Joey said out of the blue. Kaiba's face was far too close to the screen and it appeared as though he was doing it to distract himself from Joey.

"I'm used to it."

Kaiba grunted and continued his typing. Joey found it hilarious how he tried so hard to ignore him; cute even. He sat down at the chair in front of Kaiba's desk and he saw Kaiba perch an eyebrow. He didn't say anything though.

"This is a nice office," Joey complimented and smirked when he heard Kaiba snort again. It was like he was putting forth too much effort to be annoyed and it wasn't working. "Nice bookshelf too. I bet you spend a lot of time reading."

No reply. Kaiba was still too busy "distracting" himself. Joey crossed his legs and held his perched knee up by his intertwined fingers, rocking his free leg back and forth as his eyes explored the rest of the office while Kaiba was still typing. He stopped when his eyes lay on the fridge.

"Mind if I get something to eat?" he asked.

"Knock yourself out."

Joey huffed in amusement when he stood up and looked over at Kaiba before he stalked towards the fridge. The food wasn't what he was accustomed to, but beggars couldn't be choosers so Joey grabbed a piece of baby swiss cheese and stuffed it into his mouth. He was surprised at how much he actually enjoyed the taste. Even the food at Honda's restaurant didn't hold this much flavor.

Kaiba smirked briefly when he heard Joey's satisfied hums and obnoxious smacking of his lips when he was eating. It was uncanny how easily amused the guy was.

"No but seriously Kaiba," Joey said with a stuffed mouth. "This is a nice place you got here. You've got a walk-in closet, television set, stereo, bookshelf, microwave, computer—"

"—And my bedroom is just across the hall."

Joey froze mid chew when he heard that. There was this strong undertone that lingered in the air and smelled like sex once Kaiba made his bold statement and left it hanging for Joey to figure out what he meant. He glared at the CEO, who hadn't taken his eyes off his computer once, still typing away. Just the way he said it was so casual and collected, it almost drove Joey mad. With a raised eyebrow and thinned lips, Joey stood motionless and waited for Kaiba to make the next move because he damn sure wasn't. Not after hearing that.

Like clockwork, Kaiba typed up the last of his work that he was doing on his laptop and shut it off. He wheeled his chair back and stretched, making a noise in between grunting and down right moaning when he felt the kinks in his arms and legs disappear from sitting in the same place for too long. Those sounds went right to Joey's dick and he felt the tightness in his pants again as Kaiba stood up and walked to the opposite side of the room where the door stood ajar. The door that Joey assumed connected to the bedroom that he mentioned.

He stared at Kaiba as he walked in. More importantly than that, he saw the guy leave the door open. If that wasn't the biggest invitation Joey's ever saw, he didn't know what was. For a second or two, he hesitated, not one hundred percent sure if Kaiba was truly propositioning him or not. But then again, why would he leave the door open if he weren't? The guy was usually secretive about shit like that.

Stuffing the last piece of cheese into his mouth and swallowing hard, Joey rubbed his palms up and down his jeans and took a deep breath. For whatever reason, he looked to the right and the left of him as if someone else was in the room, or just in case Mokuba decided to be nosy again and peek his head in. Thankfully he wasn't there. Joey loosened himself up as he felt his muscles clench from nervousness or apprehension….he couldn't really put a finger on why he was feeling so edgy. However, Joey ignored it, took another deep breath and walked towards Kaiba's bedroom door, closing it after him.

He rested his head against the door and closed his eyes, one of his hands still on the doorknob. Part of him didn't know why the hell he was doing this. Kaiba was just about as confusing as a rubix cube. Joey had to guess that this was just a one time thing that was never going to happen again, so why not just go along with it?

He tensed when the heat of another human body invaded his back. Joey hitched his breath when he felt hot breath feather his neck and he trembled badly. Then a hand made its way on his waist, ghosting down his side, teasing the hem of his pants before inserting a finger in. Joey felt himself get hard when the entire hand went inside his boxers and grabbed at his member, giving it a slight squeeze. The moan that lay dormant in Joey's throat broke through his lips like a escaped prisoner.

Kaiba brought his lips right up to Joey's ear, and a hand to his chin. With a low, seductive undertone, he whispered, "I knew you'd follow me here."

* * *

What exactly was Yugi doing here again? Oh yeah, that's right. Atem was teetering on stalking and harassment now, begging Yugi for another date, this time at his own condo. He insisted that he could explain what happened with Vivian on their last date and he wanted to make up for coming off at a total horndog who only wanted to jump his bones that night. Not that Yugi was any better; he had the same thing on his mind. But Atem was driving him crazy with his constant text messages and pathetic voicemails begging Yugi for another chance. Was he really that eager to fuck around again? Or did he have genuine feelings at this point? Neh, couldn't be. If the sex they had a few weeks back felt as good to him as it did to Yugi, it was no surprise that he wanted more. He still didn't rely on being pursued this relentlessly, however.

Yugi was wearing a navy long sleeved shirt from Hugo, and Tommy Hilfiger bootcut jeans. He stood in front of the door of Atem's condo and balled his hands up into fists, bringing it halfway to knocking it before he hesitated. He still wasn't even sure if he wanted to see this guy again. Part of him did but maybe that was his hormones talking. Yugi still didn't want to have a relationship based on sex. He wanted more.

Or did he? How long was he going to be able to avoid this man's advances? After weeks of chasing Yugi, it had to be more than just sex, because nobody would be after his dick for so long. Could it have been something deeper? Possibly?

And could Atem have opened up the door at a more awkward moment? Yugi's face matched the confusion inside of his head, contemplating and sorting the unwashed feeling of uncertainty and hesitation with his fist in midair as if he was saluting an indian tribe. Yugi quickly lowered his hand at his side, blushing like a girl when Atem smiled at him warmly and with possible understanding, as he probably felt as unnerved as Yugi was at the moment.

Atem was wearing a black Nike club track fleece jacket and basketball shorts. He'd look like he'd just finished working out because beads of sweat cascaded down his temples, glistening in the evening sun. His breathing was a little off scale and unbalanced but he tried to compose himself once he locked eyes with Yugi. Those dangerous eyes were going to be the death of him if Atem stared too hard but they seemed to draw him into a state of paralysis and a web of curiosity that was hard to ignore. For the life of him, Atem couldn't figure out why this guy had such a strong hold on him. Was it the violet eyes that seemed to read him like a book? Was it the way Yugi made him soften up when he was standing near him? Or was it the smile on the round face and plump cheeks that made Atem feel like he wasn't even standing on the ground? Whatever it was, he intended to keep this natural high at all costs. It made him feel giddy and not like himself, but he'd never felt anything like it before.

"Can I come in?"

Yugi's cautious tone broke Atem out of his concentration. "Oh, uh. Sure, Yugi." He stepped backwards into the house to allow him inside. "Welcome."

The condo sure looked different when Yugi actually focused on what was around him this time. The first time he was here, the only thing he cared about was the bedroom. The condo was on the fifth floor and ceiling-to-floor windows near the kitchen displayed full view of Neo. The evening star blanketed the nearby baby blue loveseats and reclining sofas and a small cherry red coffee table in front of them. To the left of that was a kitchen with oak wood cabinet doors and a bar-like counter with stools to match.

There was a dining room table with a white tablecloth draped on top with a candle in the middle and two empty china plates on the sides with complementary silverware. Yugi was taken aback at the simplicity yet romanticism of the entire setting and it was then that he began to think that he had underestimated Atem from the beginning. Maybe he really was after something more than just sex.

He pulled out a chair for Yugi and waited for him to sit down before he pushed it back towards the table. Then Atem took a seat in his own chair, scooting up as close as he could without coming off as a creep and a pervert from being too close to Yugi. Yugi figured that Atem wasn't going to the back room to shower and change and he was going to wear what he had on already. Oh well. Didn't make much of a difference to him.

Atem was hesitant to look into his eyes and looked at his empty plate instead. He nervously tapped his fingers on the table to channel some of that energy elsewhere, anywhere except his twisting, turning stomach. Atem took a few deep breaths, but nothing seemed to be working down his nerves. He began to doubt himself, clouds of apprehension filling his mind, plaguing his thoughts and he was starting to think twice about this whole thing. He didn't want this night to be ruined like the one before. But he didn't know why. Skepticism infected his bones like a disease, filling his marrow to the surface until Atem could no longer hide behind the mask that he was hiding behind. And Yugi could see every ounce of emotion on his face.

"Is something wrong, Atem?" he finally asked.

"What? No, of course not, why would there be?"

"You seem….different tonight. I can't put my finger on it."

If only Yugi knew. Atem was feeling emotional daggers piercing through his heart from all different spectrums. But he tried to keep his cool for Yugi's sake.

"I'm fine little one. How about some wine to break the awkward silence?"

"It's not awkward to me, but since you're offering, sure."

Great. Atem had just blown his cover. He flashed Yugi a fake smile before standing up and walking to the kitchen and into the freezer for the chilled sake inside of an ice bucket. Maybe he could take a quick shot before he returned to the table to take the edge off. It wasn't as though Atem had a hidden agenda; Yugi genuinely made him nervous when he wasn't chasing his dick. Beforehand, Atem just wanted sex, but when he was honest with himself, Yugi was unlike anyone he'd ever met before. Normally he would never chase anyone this hard but something about Yugi just would leave his psyche.

He decided to drink half a glass before he walked back to the table. Feeling a slight warmth, or at least something similar to it, Atem placed the ice bucket on the side, being careful not to knock the candle over since it was lit, and also so that he could get a nice view of Yugi's face. He felt more relaxed now because of the Sake, thankfully and he continued with their date. Yugi had a look of vast concern on his face, lips pursed to the side as he stared Atem right in the eyes. That sent a shiver down his spine that he had trouble covering up, especially since Yugi was looking dead at him. Something got a hold on Atem that was alien to him, a feeling in his core that was unexplainable.

Yugi carefully perused Atem from the top of his forehead to his chin and back up again, trying to read the expressions on his face. Something was off here. He didn't sense any type of confidence, cockiness, assertiveness—nothing. Could all of that macho, tough guy business from before been a huge front? Is this what Atem Sennen really was behind closed doors?

"Atem, are you positive that you're okay? You seem to have a lot on your mind," Yugi mused. "If something is wrong, you can tell me. I know I haven't been the nicest person in the world, but—"

"No, no, it's okay," Atem interrupted, waving a dismissive hand. "I deserved it. I shouldn't have come to your job and harassed you for a date, even after you told me no. I don't know what got into me. I don't think it's the love we made that keeps me coming back. I think it's deeper than that, Yugi."

The mention of sex certainly brought a flush to Yugi's face, but he cleared his throat. "What do you mean?"

Atem shrugged. "I can't even tell you what I mean, because _I_ don't even know what I mean," he replied. "It's like meeting someone and wondering where they've been all your life. Or something like that."

He wasn't even sure. He could barely look Yugi in the face after he announced that but from the corner of Atem's eye, he saw the wide eyed expression and those violet pupils boring a hole into his skull like the telescopic sight of a sniper rifle.

"So you weren't just looking for sex from me?"

"Yes and no," Atem answered honestly, feeling his face warm up. "I mean, I would like to have sex with you again Yugi, but that's not all I want. It's been a while since I've been with someone who makes me do crazy things just to be with them."

". . . . to be with me?" Well this was an unexpected surprise. Kinda. The playboy had met his match with Yugi?

"Well….yeah."

Atem nervously tapped his fingers on the glass table, refusing, too apprehensive to look Yugi in the eye, as he felt vulnerable and insecure as hell. He poured the sake into his glass right up to the rim and gulped it down, not taking a breath until it was all gone. Yugi just stared at him, seeing a metamorphosis take place right in front of his eyes. Atem was being exposed for who he really was—a hopeless romantic.

His tummy growled a bit. Yugi was starting to feel a bit hungry. Maybe some food would calm Atem's nerves, not to mention his. Yugi was still having a tough time taking everything in all at once.

"I kinda figured you were after something more than just sex when you began stalking me at my job," Yugi remarked, laughing at the recent memories. When he thought about it, Atem hadn't been a scary stalker. Just a persistent one. "Honestly, the only reason I put up with it was because I liked the attention."

Atem felt a little better after hearing that. "Is that so, little one?"

"Yes," Yugi blushed after hearing the nickname. "I mean, I've been with only one other person so I can't say that I know much about relationships and showing interest, but your actions lately tell me that you're definitely interested in…something. I'm still trying to find out what from you."

"Sorry about that," Atem rued, feeling his face heat up even more. "To be honest with you Yugi, most of the people I've come across have no substance to them. All they're good for is a one night stand and an empty bed the next day. But with you it was….different. I even left you a note, if you can recall. Something told me not to let you go. But I was being pulled in all different directions by the voices inside my head telling me not to get attached, and I never get attached to anyone. Ever."

Atem's tone of voice became sullen near the end of his speech. Yugi took note of it, but decided not to press into it, just in case it brought up bad memories. He was finally getting Atem to open up to him and he didn't want to ruin the moment.

"I can't put my finger on it Yugi, but I don't want you to leave my life. Even if we can't be together, I would at least like us to be cordial."

Cordial? Not after the sex they had, and the constant, irrepressible desire to jump on Atem's dick every time Yugi was around him. The animalistic pull was too strong to ignore.

"I can handle that," Yugi muttered, somewhat lying. He poured some of the remaining sake into his own glass and held it up. "Let's make a toast."

Atem quickly poured the last of the sake into his own glass and mirrored Yugi's pose. "A toast. To a budding relationship."

And with the clank of their glasses, Yugi and Atem both swallowed down the sake at the same time. It was a bit strong, but nothing Yugi couldn't handle. The alcohol at Joey's bar was a little bit more potent than this stuff.

The warmth of the sake traveled all the way down to Yugi's abdomen, where he then felt a slight disturbance in the base of his stomach. Yugi figured that it was just nerves and decided to ignore it.

"So, just to let you know, our food will be catered here by the same restaurant that we went to on our last date," Atem announced. "Since we didn't get a chance to eat thanks to the little disaster that occurred, I figured we could try again with no interruptions."

Yugi made a face when the subject of Vivian was brought up. He tried to hide his vexation but the mere mention of her name made his blood boil.

Not to mention his stomach feel even funnier now. It began to churn and gurgle. All of the sake was gone so Yugi couldn't rely on that for relief now.

"Well I appreciate that," Yugi replied. "I've been meaning to ask you about her though Atem. She seems to be quite attracted to you. What happened between you and her?"

Atem twisted his face in a scowl. He regretted even bringing her up now but it was too late. "She was just a fling, I guess."

"Are you sure? The look on your face is saying otherwise. Atem please don't lie to me."

Frustration was evident in Yugi's voice. He tried to keep calm, but the emotions were hitting him like ocean currents when _she_ was brought up. In addition, his stomach was doing jumping jacks and trapeze stunts inside of him. But again, he tried to ignore it for the sake of this increasingly interesting conversation.

"I wasn't planning on it Yugi. It's hard to bring up bad memories of someone you thought you were in love with."

Oh. Well that was a left fielder if Yugi ever heard one.

He gulped before answering. "In love? You were in love with Vivian?" No answer. Yugi placed his hand over Atem's and felt him clench under his grip. "Atem, talk to me, please?"

Still no reply, and Atem refused to look at him.

"_Please_?" Yugi repeated, feeling desperate.

Atem's face was cold and rigid. His entire expression was indecipherable and he stared intensely at the table, knowing that he Yugi caught his eye, he'd have a breakdown, and Atem had already shared too much tonight. Yugi wouldn't let him go and squeezed his hand tighter. Atem's entire body was stiff and he refused to move or raise his head until Yugi relinquished his hold. All this time, Atem thought he was over what Vivian did to him, but the unwise decision to bring her up just brought back the plethora of uncomfortable memories that Atem never wanted to resurface again. His chest hurt and swelled from holding in his breath so long and his skin began to pale. Beads and drops of sweat cascaded his otherwise impeccable caramel canvas of a face. His heart felt as though it was going to burst from it's origin if Yugi didn't let him go and his head began to hurt from clenching his teeth so hard. Atem felt like he was about to have a panic attack.

"Excuse me," he barely mumbled, and gently removed Yugi's hand from on top of his. He stood up gingerly from the table and spun on a heel towards the back corridor of his house towards the bathroom. Yugi didn't want to leave Atem alone. He knew that he had broken down some walls that maybe Atem wasn't ready to be let down, but now Yugi couldn't help but wonder if this was why Atem acted the way he did before. He needed answers.

Yugi's curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to chase after Atem. He stood up a little too fast when he emerged from his seat however, and his mind began to feel foggy and his legs wouldn't move forward no matter how much Yugi tried to walk. He tried to stand up straight, but his skin felt flushed and prickly like he was being stabbed with a thousand needles. His stomach turned and his knees quaked, to the point where he had to find the chair to sit down again.

He felt such a heavy weight on his entire body. Yugi couldn't feel his legs anymore, as his descent to the floor seemed to be going in slow motion. His vision went black, but he managed to moan Atem's name before the overwhelming sickness took him over completely and he was sprawled on his back.

The last thing Yugi could recall before he passed out was Atem's regal silhouette figure kneeled above him, snaking him in his arms.


End file.
